Pakistani Peacekeeper murdered amidst violence in DRC
By Adeyemi Adekunle
A Pakistani peacekeeper has been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in an attack by local militia on a peacekeepers’ camp.
The peacekeeper was shot dead on Friday by suspected Twirwaneho militiamen who had come to the Monusco camp in Minembwe, to surrender.
Monusco had earlier warned about attacks against peacekeepers may result in a war crime.
The attack on the Monusco base comes amidst a climate of mistrust towards UN soldiers in eastern DRC.
This is coming as a reoccurring killing in Monusco. In July this year 32 demonstrators and four peacekeepers were shot at during a week of protests against the presence of Monusco, a several of them had their bases looted.
The Twirwaneho militia claims to defend the interests of the Banymulenge community, a Congolese Tutsi minority.
It is one of the rebel groups that have led to several thousand deaths over the past ten years.
The UN has been deployed in the DRC since 1999 and currently has a contingent of some 16,000 troops.
A Nigerian trained investigative journalist, who cover various news beats in Nigeria.
