A United Nations peacekeeper from South Africa was reportedly killed and another wounded in an attack on their helicopter in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.
According to a spokesman, the aircraft came under fire at around 3:00 pm (1200 GMT) during a flight to Goma, the provincial capital of Nord-Kivu province, where it was able to land.
The source of the fire that struck the helicopter was not yet known and its precise location had yet to be determined, Amadou Ba, a spokesman for the UN mission in the DRC said.
A statement by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) read:
“An Oryx helicopter came under fire in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday February 5, 2023.
“A crew member was fatally shot, another suffered injuries but managed to continue flying the chopper and landed safely at Goma Airport.
“The SANDF is in the process of informing family members of the soldiers who were involved in this unfortunate incident.”
MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita said she “strongly condemns this cowardly attack on an aircraft bearing the UN emblem”, adding that “attacks against peacekeepers can constitute a war crime”.
