UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of a peacekeeper during renewed clashes between government forces and rebels in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"The secretary-general condemns in the strongest terms the killing of a Tanzanian peacekeeper who came under fire from the M23 movement in eastern DRC," said a statement from Ban's spokesperson.

According to the statement, the attacks occurred as the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC supported action by the Congolese Armed Forces to protect civilians on the Kiwanja-Rutshuru axis, 25 km north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

In the statement, the UN chief offered his sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim and to the government of Tanzania.

- Xinhua

(China Daily 10/29/2013 page12)