Two people have been killed and several others injured after UN peacekeepers opened fire during an incident in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on the Uganda border today, the UN said.
There are three Irish Defence Forces personnel currently serving with the MONUSCO mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the Defence Forces said that all Irish troops are accounted for.
"During this incident, soldiers from the intervention brigade of the MONUSCO force returning from leave opened fire at the border post for unexplained reasons and forced their way through," the UN mission in Kasindi said in a statement.
"This serious incident caused loss of life and serious injuries."
In a statement issued this afternoon, the Irish Defence Forces said the three personnel currently serving with the MONUSCO Mission "are all accounted for and are safe and well".
"Óglaigh na hÉireann will continue to monitor the situation, which today in Goma is currently relatively calm."
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "outraged" by the deadly incident and has demanded "accountability".
A UN statement said Mr Guterres was "saddened and dismayed" to learn of the shooting earlier today in the border town of Kasindi by members of the peacekeeping unit.
Video of the incident shared on social media showed men - at least one in police uniform and another in army uniform - advancing towards the immobilised UN convoy behind a closed barrier in Kasindi.
After a verbal exchange, the peacekeepers appeared to open fire before opening the gate, driving on and continuing to shoot while people scattered or hid.
"During this incident, soldiers from the intervention brigade of the MONUSCO force returning from leave opened fire at the border post for unexplained reasons and forced their way through," the UN mission in Kasindi said in a statement. "This serious incident caused loss of life and serious injuries."
Barthelemy Kambale Siva, the North Kivu governor's representative in Kasindi, earlier said that "eight people, including two policemen who were working at the barrier, were seriously injured" in the incident.
Mr Kambale Siva did not give a reason for why the UN convoy was prevented from crossing the barrier.
There are more than 120 militias operating in the DRC's troubled east. The UN first deployed an observer mission to the region in 1999.
In 2010, it became the peacekeeping mission MONUSCO - the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - with a mandate to conduct offensive operations.
There have been 230 fatalities among them, according to the UN.
Last week, deadly demonstrations demanding the departure of the United Nations took place in several towns in eastern DRC.
A total of 19 people, including three peacekeepers, were killed.
Anger has been fuelled by perceptions that MONUSCO is failing to do enough to stop attacks by the armed groups.
