UN peacekeeper killed in north Mali IED attack
An Egyptian peacekeeper was killed and four colleagues were seriously injured in improvised explosive attacks on their convoy in Mali's volatile north on Saturday (Oct 2), the United Nations said. Confirming the toll, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attacks, which happened near Tessalit, close to the Algerian border. Guterres said attacks could constitute war crimes, and called on Malian authorities "to spare no effort" in finding those responsible. "This incident is a sad reminder of the permanent danger hanging over our peacekeepers and of the sacrifices made for peace in Mali," El-Ghassim Wane, who heads the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA), said in an earlier statement.
Already battling a jihadist insurgency, Mali slid into political turmoil when a military coup in August 2020 installed an interim civilian government only for it to be overthrown in a second putsch less than a year later.
Deployed in Mali since 2013, MINUSMA is currently the deadliest United Nations peace mission in the world, with 145 killed in hostile acts recorded as of Aug 31, according to UN statistics.
The current force includes more than 12,000 soldiers.
In April, four Chadian peacekeepers from MINUSMA were killed in a jihadist attack on their camp in Aguelhok, also in northeastern Mali.
The latest violence comes amid uncertainty over the future of foreign military forces in the country.
Mali's new military-dominated government took delivery Saturday of four Russian military helicopters as it considered hiring mercenaries from a Russian private security firm.
The Wagner group is considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Western countries accuse it of acting on behalf of Moscow.
