Secretary-General deeply saddened by plane crash in Democratic Republic of Congo

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the news of a plane crash in the area of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

His thoughts are with the families and colleagues of those United Nations and non-governmental organization aid workers, Congolese officials and crew who were on board the aircraft.  He notes that a team from the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) is making every effort to reach the site of the accident in order to verify the fate of those on board.

The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to all the United Nations staff and international aid workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions to support the Congolese people in their efforts to consolidate peace in their country.

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