• At least 10 people killed during protests against UN peacekeepers in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Seven of those killed were civilians, while the remainder were UN personnel.
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• The area has recently seen an increase in violence, and locals accuse the UN of being ineffective.

At least ten people were killed during protests against a UN peacekeeping force in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to police.

Seven of those killed were civilians, while the remainder were UN personnel.

According to local media, peacekeepers shot the protesters. However, the UN mission, Monusco, has yet to respond to these reports.

The area has recently seen an increase in violence, and locals accuse the UN of being ineffective.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s east remains volatile, with more than 100 active rebel groups.

People demanded that the UN withdraw its peacekeepers from the area on the second day of protests.

On Monday, protesters stormed and looted the UN mission’s local headquarters and a logistical base, which had been called by the government’s youth wing.

The protests then became more intense on Tuesday.

“They are teargassing us because we came to say that Monusco does not help us. They’ve been in Congo for 22 years and nothing works,” protester Anselme Musimbwa said.

“We have our own police who will look after our security and property, we don’t want anything to do with Monusco,” said another demonstrator, Jack Sinzahera.

One of the graphic images circulated on social media showed a man lying motionless on the ground, while others yelled that he had been shot dead by UN forces.

DR Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya had earlier tweeted that at least five people had been killed and 50 others had been injured. But he didn’t say who he thought was to blame.

“We don’t have anything to say now, we are in bad times,” Monusco spokesperson Khady Lo Ndeye told the BBC when asked about the reports of casualties.

On Monday, Monusco CEO Khassim Diagne stated that “we will not make progress toward stabilisation and peace in chaos, confusion, or division.”

“[Monusco] stands alongside the people and supports the national defence and security forces in their fight against the armed groups.”

Protests against the UN have occurred in Goma and other towns in the country’s east over the years, but not on this scale or with this level of violence.

For more than two decades, a UN peacekeeping force has been stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2010, Monusco took over from a previous UN mission.

However, critics point out that rebel activity has not stopped in that time, and people in the region continue to live in fear.

Monusco currently has nearly 18,000 personnel in the country, including over 12,000 soldiers – the majority of whom are from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. It is getting ready to draw down, but no date has been set.

The conflict there has escalated, involving several armed groups, including the M23 movement and the Allied Democratic Forces.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, which Rwanda denies. The two countries’ leaders agreed on a “de-escalation process” in eastern DR Congo three weeks ago.

The government has requested that the army and police restore calm in Goma.

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