U.N. Security Council members urge new probe into killings of monitors

Several members of the United Nations Security Council urged U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday to establish a follow-up investigation into the murders of two U.N. investigators in Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this year.

Michael Sharp, an American who was coordinator of a sanctions monitoring group that reports to the council, and Zaida Catalan, a Swede, were killed on March 12.

The monitors were carrying out investigations in the ravaged Kasai region.

“We urge him to take action swiftly, towards a further investigation that we can uncover the truth for Zaida and Michael and for the safety of all U.N. personnel around the globe. Because five months on from the murder, accountability has yet to materialize. Those who ordered their killings remain at large,” said John Allen , Britain’s deputy ambassador to U.N.

A report presented this week by an internal board of inquiry revealed that the assassins were likely militia members from the places in question.

However from a seperate report this month, the involvement of state security services was not precluded.

In a letter to the president of the Security Council this week, Guterres said he planned to discuss the establishment of a “follow-on mechanism” to the board of inquiry with Congo officials and council members.