THE UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sought answers Friday as to why one of its helicopters came under fire in a rebel zone this week despite a ceasefire accord. The UN helicopter was hit by 14 bullets on Thursday during a routine flight between Uvira and Kalemie in eastern DRC, said the representative for the UN observer mission in the DRC (Monuc), Hamadoun Toure. None of the crew were hurt during the attack in Biera near Lake Tanganyika, Toure said, adding that an investigation into the incident had been launched. The area is controlled by the Rwandan-backed Congolese Rally for Democracy, but Rwandan soldiers and traditional Mai-Mai militia are also active in the zone. The UN has deployed some 2 500 peacekeepers and military observers to monitor a ceasefire reached by warring factions in the DRC, where war broke out in 1998. – AFP