KINSHASA: Rebels from a Ugandan-dominated group on Monday attacked a UN military base in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing one peacekeeper and injuring 12 others, the UN mission said.
The attack took place in Beni, where UN soldiers have been battling the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is dominated by hard-line Ugandan Muslims, a spokesperson for the UN mission in the DRC said.
Congolese troops had clashed with the rebels in the area on Sunday. The day before, the ADF attacked around 10 motorbike taxis in the locality.
“The Mamundioma base was attacked at 05:30 (03:30 GMT),” the UN mission known by its French acronym Monusco said, adding that UN ground and air forces had been deployed in the area.
Rich in precious minerals, the east of DRC has been unstable for 20 years.
Several dozen local and foreign armed groups stand accused of serious rights abuses against civilians, such as rape, killings and abductions.
The ADF has been accused by Kinshasa and the UN mission of killing more than 700 people in the Beni region since October 2014.