NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and asked him to “ensure expeditious investigation” to bring perpetrators of the attack and killing of two Indians in Congo to justice. The PMO said, “PM Modi, UN secretary-general speak over the phone and discussed the attack on UN peacekeeping mission in Congo in which 2 Indians were killed.”


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“The PM urged UN Secy-Gen Antonio Guterres to ensure expeditious investigation to bring perpetrators of the attack in Congo to justice,” it added.


 



 


India had also called for a meeting of the UN Security Council after an attack on the UN mission in Congo killed Indian and Moroccan peacekeepers and also ensured that a strong-worded statement is issued by the 15-nation body that calls for accountability for the killing of the Blue Helmets.


Two Border Security Force personnel head constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, and a peacekeeper from Morocco were killed and others injured when the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in North Kivu came under attack on July 26.


Hours after the attack, India, currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council, called for a meeting of the Council under "Any Other Business" to discuss the situation.


A day later, the UN Security Council issued a press statement that strongly condemned the attacks and called on the Congolese authorities to swiftly investigate the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.


In the press statement tabled by India and France, the powerful 15-nation Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to India and Morocco. They also expressed their condolences to the United Nations and for the civilians who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to injured peacekeepers and civilians.


"The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the recent attacks on the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in North Kivu, which resulted in the death of three peacekeepers from India and Morocco, as well as in injuries to peacekeepers,? the press statement, issued Wednesday, stated.


India, which is among the largest troop contributing country to UN peacekeeping missions, played a very active role in bringing Council members together and ensuring that a strong-worded statement goes out that condemns the attack on peacekeepers, sources said.


Sources said all Council members were united in condemning the attack on the peacekeepers and called for perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice.


In the press statement, the Security Council members condemned in the strongest terms all attacks and provocations against MONUSCO and underlined that deliberate attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute ''war crimes'' under international law.


They called on the Congolese authorities to swiftly investigate these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice, and keep the relevant troop-and police-contributing countries informed of the progress consistent with relevant Security Council resolutions. They requested the Secretary-General for an update consistent with para 4(a) of Security Council resolution 2589 (2021) on measures undertaken to promote accountability for such acts.


The UNSC resolution 2589 was adopted in August last year under India's Presidency of the Council and it called upon the member states hosting or having hosted United Nations peacekeeping operations to promote accountability for the killing of, and all acts of violence against United Nations personnel serving in peacekeeping operations. It also recognises the need to enhance support to help these countries address impunity.


UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the July 26 fatal attack and had expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers as well as to the government and the people of India and of Morocco.