Two United Nations peacekeepers had been killed and two extra injured Friday when their automobile hit an improvised explosive machine in central Mali, the UN mentioned.
A safety official cited by the AFP information company mentioned the troopers within the newest assault had been a part of the Egyptian contingent of the UN’s peacekeeeping mission.
A spokesman for the mission mentioned the incident occurred close to the city of Douentza, on the street to Timbuktu.
“That is the sixth incident during which a UN peacekeeping convoy was hit since Could 22,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned.
Uptick in assaults
Friday’s incident got here after a collection of different assaults on troopers and help staff.
Two troopers had been killed and 9 had been injured in an ambush in northern Mali on Thursday, Mali’s military mentioned in an announcement. It mentioned seven “terrorists” had been “neutralized” after the assault.
On Wednesday, two Purple Cross help staff had been killed within the west of the nation when their automobile got here underneath fireplace from unknown assaillants.
Why are peacekeepers in Mali?
Jihadist teams have been waging an insurgency in Mali since 2012, however insecurity within the West African nation has intensified over the previous few months. The violence has additionally unfold over the border into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Mali’s navy is supported in its battle towards these insurgent teams by a big UN peacekeeping mission generally known as MINUSMA. Round 13,000 peacekeepers are a part of the mission.
Former colonial energy France additionally deployed pressured there in 2013 to assist struggle the insurgency. However souring relations with the ruling junta prompted Paris earlier this yr to announce plans to withdraw its troops.
The MINUSMA mission is likely one of the UN’s most harmful peacekeeping operations
Mali has been led by the navy since a 2020 coup unseated a democratically elected president. Beneath Colonel Assimi Goita, who’s now serving as president, Mali has turned away from conventional ally France and has as a substitute embraced assist from Russia.
Germany, which makes up a big a part of the UN’s MINUSMA mission, final month determined to improve its deployment from 1,100 to 1,400 troopers. It additionally prolonged participation within the mission for one more yr.
MINUSMA has misplaced 142 troops, lots of them to roadside bombs and ambushes, for the reason that mission started in 2013.
nm/rt (Reuters, AFP)