The United Nations peacekeeping mission and a local officer stated that four protesters were electrocuted on Wednesday in Uvira, Congo.
It was gathered that this happened when troops fired shots which hit an electric cable that fell on them.
The protesters have accused the mission of being unable to protect them from militia violence.
A tweet by the mission read:
“Four people were unfortunately electrocuted to death by a cable [near a MONUSCO base].”
Confirming the incident, the South Kivu governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi said the troops had fired at the cables.
“There was an isolated demonstration in Uvira. I have asked for investigations to know if the bullet was fired by MONUSCO or by our [security] forces.”
Calm had been restored by mid-afternoon, he added.
Meanwhile, the Deputy U.N. Congo envoy, Khassim Diagne said:
“We do not have any evidence that MONUSCO troops were firing at civilians. The U.N. would work with Congolese authorities to investigate civilian deaths.”
The U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix is due to arrive in Congo’s capital Kinshasa on Friday, July 29 and will also visit Goma.
