UN Chief offers condolences to Morocco following death of Moroccan Blue Helmet in DRC

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, presented his most sincere condolences to Morocco, following the death on Tuesday of a Moroccan soldier belonging to the contingent of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), deployed in the Republic Democratic Party of Congo part of MONUSCO.

A statement by UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the UN Secretary-General “expresses his deepest condolences” to the family of the deceased and to the Moroccan government.

A statement from the FAR’s General Staff confirmed that the soldier died after he sustained gunfire injuries during attacks on several deployment sites of the FAR contingent in DRC’s northeastern region.

Rebels in the turbulent region took advantage of an aggressive demonstration by the local population against the presence of MONUSCO, which occurred on July 25 and 26, to attack FAR Deployment sites.

The FAR said 20 other soldiers of the FAR contingent at the “Nyamilima” site sustained minor injuries during the attack and were immediately taken to hospital for first aid.

Two other blue helmets, of Indian nationality, were killed in these attacks, while another, of Egyptian nationality, was injured.

Following the attack, the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) took “several measures” to repatriate the remains of the deceased and ensure the security and safety of the deployment sites of the FAR contingent.

The UN Spokesman said in his statement that the UN Secretary General also offered his condolences to the Indian government, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured and reaffirmed MONUSCO’s commitment to work with the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents.

Recalling the status of forces agreement concluded between the UN and the government of the DRC, which guarantees the inviolability of UN premises, Antonio Guterres underlined that any attack directed against UN peacekeepers units may constitute a war crime. He therefore called on the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents and quickly bring those responsible to justice.

The UN Secretary-General also reaffirmed the firm commitment of the United Nations to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the DRC, adding that the UN, through its Special Representative and its Security Council-mandated mission, will continue to support the Congolese government and people in their efforts to establish peace and stability in the east of the country.