Off the wire
• Retired neurosurgeon and Republic presidential candidate vows to tackle rising national debt  • Eight people found dead at home in Houston  • Police investigate racism attack against Chinese politician in Scotland  • Ajax open season with win at AZ  • Police, militant killed in fire exchanges in Egypt's Suez province  • Israeli man stabbed near Jerusalem, one Palestinian attacker shot dead  • Syrian air strikes kill 30 IS militants in central town  • "Six poachers" killed in gunfight with Bangladesh police  • Croatia celebrates 300-year long tradition of Alka  • IS kills 37 rival rebels in Syria's Aleppo province  
You are here: 　 Home

UN Security Council voices sorrow at death of 5 Rwandan blue helmets in CAR

Xinhua, August 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Sunday expressed its "sorrow at the tragic incident" in Bangui that resulted in the death of five Rwandan peacekeepers serving in a UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Eight others were wounded in the incident when a Rwandan soldier serving under UN peacekeeping mission in the CAR, known as MINUSCA, opened fire on comrades early Saturday, killing five of them and wounding eight others before shooting dead himself, Rwanda's Defense and Military spokesperson said Saturday.

"The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the five peacekeepers killed and to the government of Rwanda, and to MINUSCA," the 15- nation UN body said in a statement issued to the press here. "The members of the Security Council wished a speedy recovery to those injured."

The members of the security council took note of the investigation into the circumstances of this tragic incident, which is ongoing, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the council members reiterated their full support for MINUSCA to assist the Transitional Authorities, which bear the primary responsibility to protect the population, and the people of the CAR in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2217, adopted earlier this year, the statement added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday said that he was " saddened to learn of the death" of the five Rwandan peacekeepers, and offered "his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and to the government and people of Rwanda."

Since January 2014, Rwanda has deployed battalion of 800 soldiers to reinforce the MINUSCA in the Central African Republic.

In addition, another special forces comprising of 140 Rwandan police officers, who are part of Rwanda's elite Police Unit, have been deployed to be stationed in Bangui to conduct patrols, ensure protection of VIPs, key installations and other escort duties.

Fighting has gripped the CAR since early 2013, when mostly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the capital Bangui, sparking reprisal attacks from Christian militias. The international peacekeeping operation in the landlocked CAR stems from the political violence.

France and African nations sent peacekeepers after a coalition of mostly Muslim rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March 2013. Christian and Muslim militias continued to battle for control before a tentative political transition began.

The violence prompted a humanitarian crisis, as hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes. Some sought refuge in neighboring countries, but many others were internally displaced, living in makeshift camps.

After the initial wave of peacekeepers, the UN Security Council in April 2014 formally set up the UN peacekeeping force of up to 11,800 troops, a force to which Rwanda contributes.

Its other initial tasks included support for the transition process; facilitating humanitarian assistance; promotion and protection of human rights; support for justice and the rule of law; and disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation processes. Endite