6 UN peacekeepers detained after Congolese military uniforms found in their luggage

KINSHASA, Congo – A provincial governor says that six members of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo have been detained after Congolese military uniforms were found in their luggage.

The Ukrainian troops were detained after a search of their luggage at the airport in Goma, in North Kivu province, the province's governor, Julien Paluku, said Wednesday. The uniforms included some for the presidential guard.

A spokesman for the force, Charles Antoine Bambara, said he was aware of the incident and called for an investigation. He said the force would cooperate with authorities.

The U.N. force has about 21,000 troops in eastern Congo, which is home to a number of armed groups competing for control of the region's vast mineral resources. The Congo conflict is a spillover from the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda.