The United Nations will suspend operational support for certain
Democratic Republic of Congo army units it believes have
deliberately killed more than 60 civilians this year, the UN
peacekeeping chief said.
The UN has backed Joseph Kabila's forces in operations against
Rwandan rebels despite mounting complaints by human rights groups
and others about abuses by soldiers and the high number of
civilians caught up in the offensives.
"According to our information, these civilians were clearly
targeted in attacks by certain units of the (army)," Alain Le Roy
told UN-sponsored Radio Okapi of the killings of at least 62
civilians in eastern Congo between May and September where the army
units were fighting Rwandan rebels.
"We have decided that (Congo's peacekeeping mission) MONUC will
immediately suspend its logistical and operational support to the
army units implicated in these killings," Le Roy, who has been
touring the region, said.
Le Roy named the units as being part of the 213th brigade of the
Congolese army.
But he did not say how many were affected by the move or what
the implications were for UN support of the wider operations.
The killings took place around the village of Lukweti, around 80 km
northwest of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed, more than 7,000 women
and girls raped, and more than 900,000 people forced to flee their
homes since Congo launched its offensive in the east against the
rebel FDLR group in January.
World News Video
-
Dangerous rush to Everest summit (1:59)
-
Dozens killed in Syrian massacre (2:09)
-
'King of Romance' competes in Eurovision (1:46)
