The Secretary-General is deeply saddened to confirm that eight peacekeepers who were on board a Puma helicopter that crashed earlier today in North Kivu have died.
According to a press statement Wednesday, their bodies were recovered during a search and rescue operation launched by MONUSCO.
The helicopter, operated by the Pakistani contingent, was on a reconnaissance mission in the area of Tshanzu, where there have been clashes between the M23 group and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in recent days. An investigation is underway.
The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and to the Governments of Pakistan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Serbia, whose troops were among the casualties.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the resurgence of M23 activities in the tri-border area around Rwanda-DRC-Uganda as well as the ongoing impact of violence involving armed groups on civilians. NNI
