Secretary-General Strongly Condemns Attack on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Team Returning from Delivering Aid in Democratic Republic of Congo

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary‑General strongly condemns the attack, on 8 December, by suspected Mai-Mai elements against an Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) team, travelling between Mambasa and Knyambi, in the Lubero territory in North Kivu Province and escorted by a patrol of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

The UNHCR team was returning to the city of Beni after distributing humanitarian aid to people displaced by violence and to vulnerable families from the host community.  The attack resulted in the wounding of three UNHCR staff members.  MONUSCO dispatched reinforcements to the scene and provided medical evacuation to the wounded.

The Secretary‑General wishes a speedy and full recovery to the wounded staff members and emphasizes that attacks against United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers may constitute a war crime.  He calls on the Congolese authorities to spare no effort in investigating and promptly holding accountable the perpetrators of this unacceptable attack.

The Secretary-General reaffirms his continued support to all humanitarian workers in their efforts to deliver assistance to the Congolese people.