UN peacekeepers in DR Congo accidentally fire on power line, electrocute 4 protesters: Official

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) - Four people taking part in protests against the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) died Wednesday after peacekeepers accidently damaged a high-voltage power line while firing into the air to disperse demonstrators which fell on some of the protesters and electrocuted them, said a government official.

"The main unfortunate event that is to be reported today is the demonstrations that took place in Uvira (South Kivu) and which, unfortunately, led to the deaths of four compatriots by electrocution," said Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, the minister in charge of communication and media and government spokesman.

He said that as the protesters approached a MONUSCO base, the peacekeepers fired into the air, the shots hit an electricity pole, a power cable gave way and four people were electrocuted and died.

According to the government, demonstrations have been taking place for the past two days in the town of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and in other towns in the province.

The residents are demanding the withdrawal of the UN force. They accuse it of having failed to bring peace to the country, which is plagued by attacks by rebel groups.

The protests came after Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, the head of the Congolese Senate, accused the international community of being "complicit" in the country's instability and encouraged people to "take up all kinds of arms.”

"We even question if it is worth continuing to host MONUSCO on our soil with 20,000 soldiers stationed here for 22 years and no peace," Lukwebo said.

He also accused the UN of refusing to lift an embargo on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s arms procurement before the UN Security Council.

The official report that preceded today's incident was that 15 people were killed, including three peacekeepers. MONUSCO has accused the demonstrators of shooting at the peacekeepers and denied shooting back at the demonstrators who died.

During their second crisis meeting today, the country’s authorities reiterated their call for calm, indicating that the common enemy is not MONUSCO but the M23, a rebel group that is spreading terror in the country.

The presence of various rebel groups has plunged North Kivu and South Kivu into a climate of insecurity that the population deplores, despite the presence of the UN force for some 20 years and the military support provided by East African countries. ​​​​​​​