UN peacekeeper killed in DR Congo militiaman attack

A peacekeeper from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) was killed and five others injured on Monday morning in an attack in the city of Butembo, North Kivu province, according to army sources.

The same sources said five militiamen and one policeman were also killed in the attack by militiamen around 6 a.m..

Witnesses said assailants identified as Mayi-Mayi militiamen attempted to attack the town hall, where the MONUSCO office is located, and the city's police headquarters and central prison.

From the outset of the attack, the armed forces of the DRC with the support of MONUSCO fired back. The fighting lasted several hours.

Until Monday evening, the army and police have regained control of the city and its surroundings, according to General Fall Sikabwe, commander of operation Sokola 1 South.

Butembo in eastern DR Congo has faced the rise of a new group of a local militia since last October, which aimed to fight in a community way.

The authorities made several calls for the peaceful dissolution of the militia without success before launching an armed attack against them last month.

source: Xinua