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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 27 July 2022
5 killed, 50 injured in anti-UN protests in Congo’s east

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE keepers as “warning shots
Associated Press to disperse the demonstra-
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — tors and prevent any at-
At least five people have tack on the @MONUSCO
been killed and about 50 base and installations,” he
others injured on the sec- said on his Twitter account.
ond day of demonstrations “The government has in-
in Congo’s eastern city of structed the security forces
Goma against the United to take all measures to en-
Nations mission in the coun- sure a return to calm and
try, a government official the normal resumption of
said. activities in Goma,” he
The United Nations con- said. He also reiterated that
firmed that one peace- steps are already being
keeper and two interna- taken for the peacekeep-
tional policemen serving ing forces to be withdrawn.
with the U,N. peacekeep- In June 2021 and June
ing force were killed and 2022, the peacekeeping
another injured at the U.N. mission closed its office
base in Butembo in North in Congo’s Kasai Central
Kivu province in the east and Tanganyika regions.
when “violent attackers The mission has more than
snatched weapons from A resident holds a placard reading ‘’MONUSCO get out without delay’’ as they protest against 16,000 uniformed personnel
the United Nations peacekeeping force (MONUSCO) deployed in the Democratic Republic of the
Congolese police” and fire Congo, in Goma, Monday, July 25, 2022. in Congo, according to the
on the U.N. personnel. Associated Press U.N. The protests are taking
U.N. deputy spokesman place as fighting has esca-
Farhan Haq said reports of ing into bases, looting and he said. fired by the peacekeepers lated between Congolese
civilian casualties, includ- vandalizing, and setting Demonstrators on Monday for the deaths. troops and the M23 rebels,
ing reports of U.N. peace- facilities on fire,” Haq said. had set fires and forced Congo’s mineral-rich east forcing nearly 200,000 peo-
keepers killing and injuring “We are trying to calm entry into the U.N. mission is home to myriad rebel ple to flee their homes.
civilians, would be investi- things down” including by offices in Goma, accusing groups and the region’s The M23 forces have shown
gated. He said that on Tues- dispatching quick reac- the peacekeeping forces security has worsened de- increased firepower and
day “hundreds of assailants tion forces but there is no of failing to protect civil- spite a year of emergency defense capabilities, ac-
again attacked bases of evidence the violence has ians amid rising violence operations by a joint force cording to a report by Hu-
the U.N. force, known by ended. in Congo’s eastern region. of the armies of Congo and man Rights Watch.
its French acronym MO- In addition, Haq said at least They are calling for the U.N. Uganda. Civilians in the MONUSCO’s acting head
NUSCO, in Goma as well four incidents targeted the forces, present in Congo east have also had to deal Khassim Diagne and U.N.
as other parts of North Kivu residences of MONUSCO for years, to leave. with violence from jihadi spokesman Haq con-
“fueled by hostile remarks staff, who have now been “At least 5 dead, around rebels linked to the Islamic demned the killings of U.N.
and threats made by indi- relocated to U.N. camps. 50 wounded,” government State group. personnel. Haq said U.N.
viduals and groups against And a mob also tried to en- spokesman Patrick Muyaya The government spokes- peacekeeping chief Jean
the U.N., particularly on so- ter the compound of the said in a tweet, condemn- man didn’t say what Pierre Lacroix, who is cur-
cial media.’” U.N. Development Program ing attacks on U.N. person- caused the deaths but rently in Mali, will be travel-
“Mobs are throwing stones earlier Tuesday but was re- nel and buildings. described the response by ing to Congo “at his earliest
and petrol bombs, break- belled by security guards, Protesters blamed shots security forces and peace- opportunity.”q

U.N.: Violence rising in rural Colombia despite peace deal

try’s largest guerrilla group, armed groups are fighting in Colombia, said in some
the United Nations Human over drug trafficking routes pockets of southwestern
Rights Office said in a re- and territory that was once Colombia rebel groups
port. It called on the gov- controlled by the FARC. and drug trafficking orga-
ernment to boost rural de- According to the U.N., nizations have such great
velopment and take steps 100 human rights defend- control over their territory
to encourage members of ers were killed across the that they are issuing ID
Colombia’s remaining ille- country in 2021, compared cards locals must carry to
gal groups to demobilize. to 61 in 2016, the year the move between villages.
The report, published Tues- peace deal with the FARC She added that in some
day, said homicides de- was signed. The organiza- communities militias are
creased after the Colombi- tion also noted that forced also also asking visitors to
an government signed the displacement increased present lab tests that show
peace deal with the Revo- in 2021, and that currently they don’t have any sexu-
lutionary Armed Forces of more then 54,000 people ally transmitted diseases.
Children look at an armored vehicle in Toribio, southwest Colombia, which ended in the western province De Rivero said Colombia’s
Colombia, Oct. 30, 2019. five decades of war and of Choco are trapped by government has relied
Associated Press generated hope in rural armed groups who will not mostly on military opera-
communities. allow them to leave their tions to improve security
By MANUEL RUEDA ing in many rural areas of But it noted that in the past villages. in rural areas, but that this
Associated Press Colombia despite a 2016 two years violence has in- Juliette de Rivero, the U.N. strategy has failed to stop
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) peace deal between the creased significantly in re- High Commissioner for Hu- the expansion of illegal
— Violence is increas- government and the coun- mote areas where smaller man Rights’ representative groups.q