DR Congo Honors Victims of Deadly Anti-UN Protests in Goma

Authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), accompanied by family members, on Friday buried the victims who died during the recent protests against the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in Goma, capital of the northeastern North Kivu province.

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A total of 13 bodies were buried in the main cemetery in Goma after a funeral ceremony organized by the military authorities of the province at the request of the central government in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC.

Thousands of people took part in the ceremony. According to the central government, at least 36 people have been killed across the region during the recent protests against MONUSCO, deemed ineffective against local armed groups, since last week.

Since July 25, thousands of people have been protesting against MONUSCO in several towns across the country for seeing little improvement in security despite the presence of the UN mission for over two decades. Outrage at MONUSCO grew last Sunday after the UN troops opened fire and killed several civilians in the town of Kasindi on the border with Uganda.

The tweet reads, "It hurts a lot to see these crosses!! Young people whose dreams were shattered by the barbarity of MONUSCO. May justice be done to them!!"

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed outrage at Sunday's incident and apologized to the Congolese president, saying the UN is totally committed to peace and to coordinating and working with the Congolese armed forces. He also stressed the need to establish accountability for these events.

The DRC authorities have announced an investigation jointly with the UN mission to establish the responsibility for the deaths during these demonstrations across the towns since the beginning of the demonstrations.

The Congolese government announced to reassess the agreement on the withdrawal of the MONUSCO amid escalating protests against the MONUSCO in the eastern part of the country.