UN launches probe into attacks on peacekeepers in DRC

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday announced the appointment of Dmitry Titov of Russia to lead a special investigation into recent attacks on peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The investigation will include a focus on the Dec. 7 attack, in which 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed, 43 wounded and one remains missing, said the UN press service in a statement.

The probe will examine the circumstances surrounding attacks, evaluate the UN peacekeeping mission's overall preparedness and response to the events and provide recommendations on how to prevent such attacks from occurring in the future, or when they do occur, from having such lethal consequences, it said.

The investigation team will travel to the DRC in the next few days and will also visit relevant countries in the Great Lakes region, said the statement.

In addition to officials of the United Nations, the team will also include two military officers from Tanzania. Enditem