By Gad Masereka
Thousands of Congolese are have turned violent after the murder of at least 20 Congolese in Beni town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) near the boarder with Uganda.
According to sources, the worsening insecurity in the region has forced many Congolese to storm the streets to protest against the United Nations (UN) mission in the country.
Sources reveal that the protesters turned violent and started burning UN vehicles, blaming them for failing to protect them from the ADF forces.
Eyewitnesses revealed that “Hundreds of protesters stormed the compound of the UN MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in DRC, with looted property and burnt vehicles. The protesters turned violent shortly after the ADF rebels had attacked Congolese villages in Beni town leaving at least 8 people killed and more 9 people kidnapped, but the UN MONUSCO did not help the to defend the citizens, which prompted the civilians to storm the UN MONUSCO compound.
Kazingufu Safari, the police commander for Beni region, confirmed the incident, which he described as violent after UN forces shot four protesters who were heading to the Mayor’s office.
He said that “Residents are demanding the withdrawal of MONUSCO from Beni because of the inaction of UN forces.”Â
One of the protesters identified as Fundi Kà sereka noted that “We are killed while MONUSCO is here to protect us. Let them go home. We do not need tourists in our country!”
“At the moment, the security and UN forces are utterly failing in their obligation to protect people living in Beni” and elsewhere in Congo,” said Seif Magango, Amnesty International’s deputy director for East Africa, in a statement.
ADF fighters have repeatedly attacked Beni residents over the past days. The ADF formed in Uganda in 1995 and the deaths of more than 1,500 people have been attributed to the rebel group over the past five years. (https://www.iport.com/)
The ADF killings and violence in Congo have continued, despite MONUSCO replacing an earlier UN mission in the region in 2010.
