Mali: Three UN Peace Keepers killed in explosion attack

The UN Stabilization mission in Mali (MINUSMA) announced Tuesday three of its forces were killed and five others injured when their vehicle hit an explosive device.

The victims were all Senegalese. The mission in a report indicated that the incident took place Tuesday morning near the village of Songobia, in central Mali, as their supply convoy was heading to its base in Sévaré.

El-Ghassim Wane, the head of MINUSMA, condemned the attack and offered his deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of the deceased peacekeepers.

“This is another tragic illustration of the complexity of our operational environment and the sacrifices made by the international community for peace in Mali,” he said.

The mission is one of the most dangerous peace operations for “blue helmets”. Since its establishment in 2013, 168 peacekeepers have lost their lives in hostile acts.

The UN Security Council condemned the attack in the strongest terms and called on the transitional authorities in Mali to swiftly investigate the attack with the support of MINUSMA, and promote accountability by bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The council in June extended for another year the mandate of the mission.