UN says it exercised restraint in DR Congo protests

The UN says it has no evidence so far that its peacekeepers fired at civilians during three days of protests against its forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nineteen people have now been confirmed to have died in the violent clashes in multiple towns that targeted UN camps. Three UN personnel were among the dead.

Demonstrations erupted in eastern DR Congo on Monday with people accusing the UN of failing to contain violence by armed groups.

The UN Deputy Special Representative in the country, Kassim Diagne, said investigators have already been sent to help the authorities analyse the bullets that killed the civilians in the towns of Goma and Butembo.

Mr Diagne said initial findings however showed that the UN peacekeepers exercised restraint as protesters stormed into their bases and burnt vehicles, offices and looted food stores.

Demonstrators have accused Congolese security forces of the killings.

This comes even as the civilian death toll increases after four protesters were electrocuted on Wednesday in the city of Uvira when troops fired shots that hit an electric cable which fell on them.

The UN Security Council has condemned the violence and asked the Congolese government to fully investigate and prosecute those involved.

The mission in DR Congo is the second-largest UN peacekeeping force in the world but has in recent years began withdrawing and reducing its forces in parts of the country

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: AFP