‘Situation is tense’: 2 peacekeepers told family hrs before their death in Congo
The two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who were killed in the line of duty in Congo, told their families about the deteriorating situation in the eastern city of Butembo on Tuesday, hours before they died when the mob protesting against the United Nations peacekeeping mission attacked their camp.
Head constables Shishupal Singh, 45, of Rajasthan’s Sikar and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, 45, of Barmer district were part of the two BSF platoons sent for the UN peacekeeping mission in May this year.
“Shishupal told his wife about the tense situation in Congo when they spoke on Tuesday, and how the situation had been disturbed for the last few days, and that the protesters were pelting stones and even burnt their tents,” said Madan Singh Bagadia, his elder brother who is an assistant commandant in BSF and posted in Jaisalmer.
Just a day earlier, protesters in Goma forced entry into the UN mission offices, accusing the peacekeeping forces of failing to protect civilians amid rising violence in Congo’s eastern region.
They are calling for the UN forces, present in Congo for years, to leave.
Madan Singh said they weren’t able to get through Shishupal’s phone again. On Wednesday, they received a phone call from the BSF informing them about Shishupal’s supreme sacrifice.
Deputy spokesperson for UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, Farhan Haq, said at the daily press briefing at the UN that violent attackers snatched weapons from Congolese police and fired upon the UN uniformed personnel leading to the death of three UN peacekeepers including two from India.
Shishupal Singh, the youngest of three brothers, is survived by a wife, a school teacher, a daughter, 24, who is a doctor and younger son, 20, who is pursuing his graduation.
His elder brother Mool Singh is also a head constable in BSF and currently posted in NDRF.
Head constable Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, who also died in the same incident, also told his wife, Rukmani Devi, about the tense situation when they spoke at about 2pm on Tuesday.
Sanwala Ram, who served on the Indo-Bangladesh border before getting selected for the UN mission, is survived by his parents, wife Rukmani and two sons
“While talking to his wife, he said that recently they had been able to disperse the protesters,” said Papu Ram, his brother.
“Everything was fine till Tuesday afternoon but I don’t know what happened thereafter and how my brother was killed.
“It was the BSF headquarters that informed us that Sanwala Ram was killed in a violent protest,” he said.
Sanwala Ram, who served on the Indo-Bangladesh border before getting selected for the UN mission, is survived by his parents, wife Rukmani and two sons, aged 16 and 14.