UN condemns latest attack on peacekeepers in Mali
UN condemns latest attack on peacekeepers in Mali (Photo/IANS)
United Nations: The UN has condemned the latest attack on peacekeepers in Mali, which was the second in a week.
The UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, lost two Egyptian peacekeepers on Friday. The two blue helmets were killed and another was injured when their armoured personnel carrier hit an improvised explosive device outside the town of Douentza, in the Mopti region, reports Xinhua news agency.
"The Secretary-General condemns this new attack on our peacekeepers, who, as you know, are just fulfilling the mandate in Mali given to them by the Security Council in extremely challenging conditions," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
The UN chief also wished a prompt recovery to the injured peacekeepers.
MINUSMA's logistic convoy in Kidal, northern Mali, came under direct fire from suspected terrorists for nearly an hour on Wednesday.
In all, four Jordanian peacekeepers were injured, and one of them died after being evacuated.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix also condemned Friday's incident, which he said was "yet again another cowardly attack against our peacekeepers".
"These crimes are a blatant violation of international law," and they "shall not go unpunished", Lacroix said.
Mali remains one of the most dangerous places to serve as a peacekeeper.
MINUSMA, the French acronym for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, was established in April 2013 in the wake of a military coup and the occupation of the north by radical Islamists.
The mission supports political processes and performs tasks related to security and civilian protection.
Despite the challenging circumstances, MINUSMA personnel continue their mandated work, Dujarric said, adding the mission recently helped rebuild two bridges in the Mopti region that had been destroyed in earlier attacks.
The development will bring relief to the population, and will also facilitate the resumption of travel, commerce and other economic activities, including between Mopti city and the town of Bandiagara, some 65 km to the southeast.