United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Friday the shooting attack on a UN helicopter on Thursday in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The attack injured three peacekeepers, a civilian pilot and one member of the Congolese national police on board the helicopter.

"The secretary-general calls on the government of the DRC to ensure that the perpetrators of the attack against MONUC are held accountable," said a statement issued by Ban's spokesperson.

Ban also encouraged the DRC government to take steps to peacefully resolve the issues underlying the attack, and pledged MONUC's assistance.

Personnel with the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, have been tasked with assisting the DRC government to protect civilians affected by violent clashes in the village of Dongo in the Equateur province that have displaced tens of thousands of civilians, and left scores of villagers and policemen dead since late October.

The clashes, thought to be caused by disputes over farming and fishing rights in Dongo, have not only displaced an estimated 14,000 people inside the DRC, but also sent over 38,000 people fleeing into neighboring Republic of Congo.

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