A patrol “came under a complex attack” near Ber, in Timbuktu district: it was hit by a mine and then fired upon, MINUSMA said.
A peacekeeper was killed and eight others were seriously injured on Friday in an attack in northern Mali, a country plunged into crisis due to the spread of jihadist and other armed violence, MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping mission, said.
A patrol “came under a complex attack” near Ber, in Timbuktu district: it was hit by a mine and then fired upon, MINUSMA said.
“One blue-collar worker was killed and 4 others were seriously injured,” he added, later clarifying that 8 were seriously injured.
The specific blue-collar workers were deployed to Mali from Burkina Faso, a UN official said.
The head of MINUSMA emphasized that he “strongly condemns this heinous and cowardly action against our patrol”.
“This tragic loss is a stark reminder of the dangers facing our peacekeepers, who work tirelessly to bring stability and peace to the people of Mali,” he added in a statement.
France – once a colonial power – condemned the attack last night “in the strongest possible way”.
Paris “condemns the proliferation of attacks against MINUSMA and the obstacles placed on its freedom of movement,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
“Those responsible for this attack must be identified and held accountable for their actions,” he added, paying “tribute to the role of the blue-collar workers who risk their lives to protect the population” of the Sahel country.
Mali has been reeling from the spread of jihadist activity and violence since separatist insurgencies broke out in its north in 2012. The violence has spread to neighboring countries, notably Burkina Faso and Niger. Attacks and atrocities are attributed to organizations close to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, paramilitary civil “defense” groups, thugs, and regular forces.
MINUSMA, which maintains some 12,000 troops deployed in the country, is systematically attacked by jihadists, who target the foreign presence as well as the symbols of the state.
Since its formation in 2013, 186 members have been killed in hostile action — by far the highest-casualty UN mission worldwide.
Source :Skai
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