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UNSC condemns killing of UN experts

NEW YORK, March 30 (KUNA) -- UNSC condemned in the strongest terms the killing of two UN operatives from the Group of Experts who were monitoring the sanctions regime in the Kasai Central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a press statement released Wednesday evening, the UNSC expressed concern over the unknown status of the four Congolese nationals accompanying them.
The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy to the families of the victims, the Governments of the United States, Chile and Sweden, as well as to the Group of Experts on the DRC and the UN Secretariat.
The 15-member body urged the Congolese authorities to continue the search for the four missing Congolese nationals, and called on the Government of the DRC to swiftly and fully investigate these crimes and bring the still unidentified perpetrators to justice.
"They encouraged a UN inquiry into the matter, as per the statement by the Secretary General on 28 March 2017, and encouraged cooperation from the government of the DRC in this regard," the statement added.
The Council underlined that attacks targeting civilians, such as these UN-appointed personnel, may constitute war crimes under international law.
The UN confirmed on Tuesday that the remains discovered by peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) outside of the city of Kananga in the Congolese Kasai - Central province are those of missing members of the Group of Experts Michael Sharp of the US, and Zaida Catalan of Sweden. (end) mao.gta