According to Government Spokesman Patrick Muyaya, U.N Peacekeepers detained in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the murder of two civilians at a border crossing on Sunday will no longer be employed there.
When the U.N peacekeepers from Uganda forced their way into Kasindi town to cross the border, fifteen more people were hurt.
According to Muyaya, the incident is being investigated by the government and the UN peacekeeping organisation, MONUSCO.
The Democratic Republic of Congo “strongly condemns and deplores this unfortunate incident in which two compatriots died and 15 others were injured according to a provisional roll.
“The government appeals to the Congolese people in general to stay calm, and particularly in Kasindi and the entire province of North Kivu,” Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a statement.
The mission’s leader, Bintou Keita, stated in a statement that she was deeply shocked to learn of the serious tragedy that took place early on Sunday.
“During this incident, soldiers of the Intervention Brigade of the MONUSCO force, returning from leave, opened fire at the border crossing for unexplained reasons and forced their way through. This serious incident resulted in loss of life and serious injuries,” she said.
Social media videos of the incident showed uniformed personnel moving toward a stopped UN truck behind a closed barrier in Kasindi, a town in eastern DR Congo’s Beni area, near to the Ugandan border.
The peacekeepers appear to have started firing after exchanging words before opening the gate. Residents were dispersed as they continued to shoot while driving.
There are more than 120 militias operating in the DRC’s troubled east. The U.N. first deployed an observer mission to the region in 1999.
In 2010, it became the peacekeeping mission MONUSCO; the United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a mandate to conduct offensive operations.