An improvised explosive device exploded in the north Mali hit a UN convoy of blue helmets resulting in one member of the mission was killed and four others were seriously injured, announced the command of the international force.
The mission did not specify the nationality of the fallen soldier, however hours later the representative of the Secretary General of the Organization clarified that was a member of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
The incident, near the town of Tesalit in the Kidal region, not far from the border with Algeria, follows an ambush in which five members of the Mali gendarmerie were killed in the south earlier this week, which was claimed by an organization linked to al Qaeda.
Attacks by jihadists and other armed groups continue to be frequent in vast areas of Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger., despite the presence of thousands of foreign soldiers for years. Thousands of civilians have been killed and millions more displaced.
The episode was featured “A tragic reminder of the permanent danger to our blue helmets”, summed up in a statement El Gassim Wane, the head of MINUSMA, the UN mission, which has about 13,000 members.
In a statement issued by his office in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemned” the bombing, expressed “his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, to the government and people of Egypt” and wished “a speedy recovery “in the injured. He reminded that the attacks against blue helmets “May constitute war crimes under international law” and called on Mali authorities to “spare no effort” to identify the perpetrators so that “To be able to be brought to justice immediately”.
MINUSMA has suffered 255 casualties since 2013, more than any other of the organization’s ten or more peacekeeping missions worldwide.
A French soldier from the Barhan mission in Mali was killed last week.
In April, four blue helmets, members of Chad’s armed forces, were killed in a jihadist attack on their base in Angelok, northeastern Mali.
Since 2012, when a clash broke out between government forces on the one hand, separatist rebels and jihadists in the north on the other, Mali has entered and is still in an endless storm with thousands of dead, civilians and militants, despite international support and interventions by UN forces, other African countries, as well as France. The situation is extremely dangerous in the country, where a transitional government is in power after two consecutive coups.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
