UN unable to reach missing helicopter in Congo

USPA News - The United Nations (UN) on Monday said it has not been able to reach one of its helicopter that had gone missing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the weekend. Emergency teams arrived several kilometers from the area between Bukavu and Shabunda in the eastern province of South Kivu in the DRC, where the aircraft went missing on Saturday.

However, bad weather conditions and difficult terrain has hampered operations. The helicopter was being operated by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) and was carrying four crew members on board. "The helicopter`s wreckage has been located and a rescue team has arrived a few kilometers away from it," UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told a news conference in New York. "However, due to bad weather restrictions and the difficult terrain, the team has not yet been able to reach the crash site," Nesirky added. MONUSCO is tasked with supporting the Congolese authorities in their stabilization and peace consolidation efforts, including assisting with the holding of elections, the monitoring of human rights violations and support for Government action against armed groups operating in the east of the country.