United Nations suspends flights in eastern Congo following helicopter attack

A United Nations helicopter came nether dense occurrence successful eastbound Congo, bringing nan ngo to suspend flights successful nan conflict-riddled region, nan statement said Monday.

A chopper returning from Walikale to nan location capital, Goma successful North Kivu province, came nether onslaught for 10 minutes past week but was capable to onshore safely successful Goma pinch each 3 unit and 10 passengers unharmed, said a connection by nan U.N.'s World Food Program.

Flights person been suspended connected circumstantial routes successful nan region until nan information business tin beryllium reassessed, said nan U.N. The chopper delivers assistance to immoderate of Congo's astir distant areas which would different beryllium inaccessible because of mediocre roads aliases insecurity.

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Goma, Congo, is pictured from nan position of a U.N. helicopter. The United Nations has suspended chopper flights supra eastbound Congo aft a chopper was attacked. (Giles Clarke/Getty Images)

No group has claimed work for nan attack, but this is nan 2nd clip this period that a U.N. mission’s chopper came nether occurrence successful North Kivu province. The erstwhile incident killed a South African peacekeeper and injured another. The United Nations Security Council said nan deliberate targeting of peacekeepers could represent warfare crimes.

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Fighting successful eastbound Congo has been simmering for decades arsenic much than 120 groups conflict for power, onshore and valuable mineral resources — while others effort to take sides their communities. The unit spiked successful precocious 2021 erstwhile M23 rebels, which had been mostly dormant for astir a decade, resurfaced and started capturing territory.

The fighting has internally displaced much than 5 cardinal people, threatening galore civilians pinch starvation, according to respective assistance groups.

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"For equipped groups seeking to unit civilians nether their control, firing astatine craft whitethorn beryllium an easy measurement to suspend assistance deliveries and power nutrient supplies into an area," said Benjamin Hunter, Africa expert astatine Verisk Maplecroft, a consequence intelligence firm.