Preliminary findings by United Nations investigators have documented at least 126 rapes and the killing of two civilians – one a minor – during a probe into human rights violations in a part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that recently experienced a new eruption of violent clashes and civilian displacements, a UN spokesperson said today.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council today deplored the rocket launch announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), calling it a clear violation of the Council’s demand that Pyongyang not conduct any launch using ballistic missile technology.

While relief workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have scaled up assistance to those affected by the recent violence in Goma, the protection of civilians remains a major concern, said a senior United Nations official who toured the area.

The security and humanitarian situation in the Kivu provinces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains fragile, a United Nations spokesperson said today, adding that the world body is continuing to assist the country on both fronts.