The head of the UN peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, begins this Friday a visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to analyze on the ground the situation after the recent attacks against the “blue helmets” deployed in that country, where protests continue against the presence of the United Nations.
Lacroix plans to meet with national authorities and visit members of the UN mission in the DRC (Monusco) to convey his support to them after the death this week of three members – two Indians and a Moroccan – within the framework of these protests, which led to assaults on the organization’s bases.
Between Monday and Tuesday, at least 15 people died -including the three UN troops-, in the protests against Monusco in the northeast of the country, for which the United Nations blames “looters” and members of armed groups that They infiltrated the protesters.
In addition to the capital Kinshasa, Lacroix plans to travel to Goma, the main city in the province of North Kivu, the main scene of tensions.
According to spokesman Farhan Haq, this Friday the situation was calm in Goma, but the threats of violence against the “blue helmets” continued on social networks.
In addition, he told reporters, security forces prevented two attempts by protesters to enter a Monusco base in the town of Kiwanja, North Kivu.
Meanwhile, in Nyamilima, in Rutshuru territory, the DRC Army intervened to stop an attack against another UN base and arrested young people who were carrying stones and incendiary devices.
According to Haq, Monusco therefore remains at a high level of alert and reiterates its calls for calm with the country’s government.
The east of the DRC has been plunged since 1998 into a conflict fueled by rebel militias and attacks by Army soldiers, despite the presence of Monusco, which has some 14,000 troops.
The recent protests have demanded the departure of the UN mission, accusing it of inefficiency in the face of the violence that hits the region and after national political leaders launched criticism in the same sense.