Indian peacekeeper's body found in Congo lake

The body of an Indian peacekeeper, who drowned while Kayaking in Congo, has been found, the UN chief's spokesperson has said.

Lieutenant Colonel Gaurav Solanki, deployed with the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, had gone to Lake Kivu on September 8 for Kayaking but did not return, media reports from India said.

The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) confirmed that the body of the "peacekeeper from the Indian contingent deployed in Goma, who drowned in Lake Kivu and had been missing since Sunday, has now been found," spokesperson for the Secretary General, Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Friday.

Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the Mission in the Congo Leila Zerrougui offered her condolences to the family and friends of the peacekeeper, as well as to the people and Government of India.

India is the second largest troop contributor to MONUSCO, with 2624 peacekeepers and 274 police personnel deployed as of March 2019.