The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday called on captors of seven Nepalese peacekeepers to release them unconditionally.

Kemal Saiki, the spokesman for the UN mission, told Xinhua that a patrol of Nepalese soldiers were ambushed by militiamen Sunday in a place some 100 km northeast of Bunia, the capital of the restive Ituri province.

One Nepalese soldier was killed during the exchange of fire, three others were wounded and seven more captured, according to Saiki.

The spokesman also noted that the UN mission had got in contact with the militiamen through a reliable inter-mediator and had urged the captors to release the peacekeepers unharmed or face serious consequences.

Around 17,000 UN peacekeepers are being stationed in the DRC to help the government troops there to drive well-armed rebels out of civilian zones in time for elections slated for July 30.

Since the UN mission started in 1999, 31 peacekeepers or observers have been killed in the vast African country.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2006)