U.N. suspends flights in Congo’s North-Kivu province

The U.N. peacekeeping mission has suspended flights in Congo’s North-Kivu province following an attack on its helicopter last Friday, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and a World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson said on Monday.
Flights between the provincial capital Goma and eastern cities of Beni and Bunia have been suspended until further notice, Claude Kalinga, WFP spokesperson in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), told Reuters.
“On Friday, February 24, a helicopter operated by UNHAS came under heavy fire about ten minutes outside of Goma as it returned from Walikale to Goma,” the UNHAS said in a statement.
The helicopter was able to land in Goma, the U.N. agency said, adding that three crew members and 10 passengers were unharmed.