Pakistani UN peacekeeper martyred in Congo rebel attack

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: United Nation spokesman has said that a United Nation Pakistani peacekeeper was martyred in attack of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Saturday.

The Pakistani peacemaker was deployed with the United Nations stabilization mission in the Lulimba, 96 kilometres south-west of Baraka, in the DRC’s South Kivu Province and they were attacked by the rebels and one other was injured in the ambush.

UN spokesman added that Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the incident and called on armed groups in Congo to lay down arms and seek to resolve their grievances peacefully.

Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN confirmed that Pakistani soldier identified as Naik Naeem Raza and she also prayed for the recovery of the injured Pakistani soldier. She said this while sharing her views on Twitter.

Pakistan is said to be the third largest contributor to United Nations’ peacekeeping missions around the world, after Ethiopia and India.

More than 6,000 officers and soldiers are performing their duties as part of UN peacekeeping assignments, the army had said in October last year at the 72nd founding day of the UN.

As many as 153 Pakistan peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives, including 23 officers, for global peace and stability under UN auspices and Pakistani troops are currently performing peacekeeping duties in Congo, Darfur, Haiti, Liberia, West Sahara, Central African Republic and Sudan.