SG/SM/9234
                                                                                                                        AFR/874
                                                                                                                        31 March 2004

Secretary-General Saddened at Killing of Member of UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo

NEW YORK, 30 March (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the killing of a United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) contingent member near Bukavu yesterday.  While the perpetrators of the incident remain unknown, he condemns in the strongest possible terms any attempts to deter MONUC from carrying out its mandate.

MONUC is carrying out a full investigation into the incident.

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