User:Gdeblois19/2017 Semuliki attack

2017 Semuliki attack
Part of Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
Date December 7, 2017 Location Semuliki, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Belligerents
MONUSCO Democratic Republic of the Congo	ADF (suspected)
Casualties and losses
15 killed, 53 wounded At least 5 killed	72 killed (DRC claim)

The 2017 Semuliki attack was an armed assault by suspected ADF militants against UN peacekeepers and Congolese soldiers near the town of Semuliki in North Kivu, DRC. It is the deadliest incident involving UN peacekeepers in recent history.

Attack and firefight

According to the UN, peacekeepers and Congolese soldiers were stationed at an operating base just outside Semuliki at the time of the attack, which took place at dusk. At about 5:00, a group of armed men, many dressed in FARDC uniforms, approached the base's gate. Once the men were let inside, they began firing on Congolese soldiers and peacekeepers. The assailants also bombed a hall in an attempt to disable the base's communications, although the base was able to send out an alert before communications were cut off.

Although originally caught off guard, security forces regrouped and returned fire, pushing the militants back out of the base. After exchanging fire with security forces for another three hours, the attackers withdrew.

Aftermath

At least 15 UN Peacekeepers, all of them fron Tanzania, were killed in the attack, along with five Congolese soldiers. It was the worst attack on UN Peacekeepers in nearly 60 years. Congolese government sources claimed that about 72 attackers were killed in the firefight, although the claim has not been substantiated by the UN.