France deplores the death of eight peacekeepers from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in a helicopter crash on March 29 in North Kivu, located in the eastern part of the country.

France offers its condolences to the victims' loved ones and to the authorities of the relevant countries.

In these tragic circumstances, France applauds MONUSCO's commitment and reiterates its full support for that operation. The circumstances of the crash must be fully clarified in the investigation that is currently under way.