The United Nations peacekeepers in Congo, as part of the ONUC force came into conflict with the Luba. On the 8th of November, 1960 a patrol of Irish soldiers were ambushed outside Niemba. In the fighting, the Irish soldiers reportedly killed dozens of Baluba with their firearms, and 9 of the 11 Irish were beaten or stabbed to death. Following these events, stories were exported of tribesmen mutilating and cannibalizing the soldiers. As a result, the word “Baluba” is derogatively used to describe someone not in control of themselves (chiefly Irish).
