12 Tanzanian peacekeepers killed, 40 others wounded in DRC attack

 At least 12 Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) soldiers are reported to have been killed, 40 others wounded, four of them in a critical state, following an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

UN secretary-general António Guterres condemned the tragedy in his condolences to the families, loved ones and to the government and the people of Tanzania, saying the attack to peacekeepers was unacceptable and constituted a war crime. 

“I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else,” reads part of a statement availed to The Citizen.

The Foreign Affairs minister, Dr Augustine Mahiga, noted that he had heard of the incident, but was yet to receive an official statement from the UN.

“It is true. I have also heard about such a report, but I have not received an official statement from the UN headquarters so that I can be sure how many soldiers have been killed and wounded in the incident. I, therefore, expect to receive the statement today,” he said.

The UN has referred to it as the worst attack on peacekeepers in the UN’s recent history. “It is another indication of enormous sacrifices made by troop contributing countries in the service of global peace. These brave women and men are putting their lives on the line every day across the world to serve peace and to protect civilians.”

“The situation in the DRC is one of the emergencies we are highlighting in today’s appeal for the Central Emergency Response Fund. This latest attack highlights the urgency of helping people in need and addressing the volatile situation.”