In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Monusco assisted in the rescue of five kidnapped citizens

According to a UN spokesman on Tuesday, UN forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have assisted in the recovery of five kidnapped civilians.

According to Stephane Dujarric, top spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, five people, including a woman and two minors, were kidnapped by an armed group near Djugu in the eastern province of Ituri. The UN peacekeeping mission known as Monusco intervened to help free the civilians.

The spokesman stated that after their release, Monusco gave them medical attention and a temporary place to stay before the mission returned them to their homes.

In Ituri, peacekeepers were also sent to a mining site northeast of Bunia to defend people against an attack by armed groups affiliated with Codeco. He said that the mission is keeping an eye on the situation and that the incident claimed the lives of four civilians.

According to the spokesman, intense shooting between the M23 armed group and the Congolese armed forces has resumed close outside the town of Sake, further worsening the security situation in the neighboring province of North Kivu.

As a result, peacekeepers have been stationed there, and the Congolese army has increased its force to prevent the M23 from attacking again.

According to Dujarric, the government has invited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to come on an official visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Turk visited camps for internally displaced people in the eastern portion of the nation and had meetings with civil society organizations and human rights advocates.

According to the spokesman, the high commissioner is scheduled to meet with UN colleagues, key government officials, and President Felix Tshisekedi while in Kinshasa.