Congo blast injures 32 UN peacekeepers

By Godfrey Olukya

ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo

Over 30 UN peacekeepers were hurt in a blast which hit the eastern Congolese city of Goma, Tuesday morning.

The 32 peacekeepers from India were part of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

According to a senior eastern DRC police officer, Robert Leku, an 8-year-old girl was also killed when the blast hit soldiers out running as part of their morning exercises.

Leku said the injured peacekeepers were rushed to hospital and added an investigation was underway.

A local resident, Martin Chombe, said he was still in bed when he heard a loud blast: “I jumped out of my bed and came out to see what had gone wrong only to see many injured peacekeepers crying for help.”

This was not the first time peacekeepers were attacked in the DRC although most assaults have not been fatal.

However, in May 2015, two UN peacekeepers from Tanzania were killed in eastern DRC when their patrol was ambushed in an area where government forces were fighting Ugandan rebels.

Currently there are about 18,000 peacekeepers operating in DRC where there are several militia groups which are responsible for causing insecurity in the gigantic country.