Ban condemns killing of peacekeeper in DRC

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of a peacekeeper during renewed clashes between government forces and rebels in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

"The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the killing of a Tanzanian peacekeeper who came under fire from the M23 movement in eastern DRC," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesperson.

According to the statement, the attacks occurred as the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) supported action by the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) to protect civilians on the Kiwanja-Rutshuru axis, 25 km north of Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province.

In the statement, the UN chief offered his sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim and to the government of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The United Nations remains committed to taking "all necessary actions" in line with Security Council resolutions to protect civilians in eastern DRC, said the statement.

After a lull of one month, fighting between FARDC and M23 flared up on Friday morning in the North Kivu province.

The fighting has resumed just a week after the suspension of the Kampala talks in Uganda between the DRC government and the M23 rebels to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the eastern part of the country.

In April 2012, a newly-formed rebel group M23 launched an insurgency in the country's restive eastern region and seized Goma in November before pulling out under regional pressure to facilitate peace talks.

In the past year, clashes have continued sporadically throughout eastern DRC. Mediated by Uganda, the peace talks between the government and the rebels have repeatedly stalled since December last year.