UN drone crashes at airport in Congo

PanARMENIAN.Net - A military spokesman for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo said a drone has crashed at the airport in the eastern city of Goma, according to the Associated Press.

Lt. Col. Felix Prosper Basse said the drone crashed Wednesday, Jan 15, while returning from a mission and that no casualties were reported.

Last March the U.N. Security Council authorized the use of unarmed drones on a trial basis for intelligence gathering in eastern Congo, a region where numerous armed groups continue to operate despite the defeat of the M23 rebel group late last year.

The first of five drones was launched in December, with the peacekeeping mission saying they could provide "essential" surveillance of armed groups and civilians affected by their actions.

Basse said an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of Wednesday's crash.