In the eastern city of Goma, DR Congo, a minimum of 10 individuals lost their lives on Wednesday as soldiers sought to prevent a religious group’s scheduled anti-UN demonstration.
Moleka Maregane, a representative from the organizing group, reported that six individuals were fatally shot by Congolese soldiers at a radio station and place of worship during the march.
Medical personnel at the hospital additionally confirmed that they received 33 injured individuals, three of whom succumbed to their injuries.
Eyewitnesses and Goma’s mayor have reported that members of the religious group were involved in the violence, and they allegedly lynched a policeman during the incident.
The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, referred to as MONUSCO, stands as one of the world’s most expansive and expensive, boasting an annual budget of approximately $1 billion. Its presence has been established in the country since 1999.
The UN faces pointed criticism within the central African nation, with a significant portion of the population viewing the peacekeepers as ineffective in halting the militia-driven violence that has afflicted the eastern region for the past thirty years.
At present, the force comprises approximately 16,000 uniformed personnel, primarily stationed in the mineral-abundant eastern region of Congo.