Two MINUSMA peacekeepers killed in attack on their convoy in Mali

14 Juin 2020

Bamako, Mali, June 14 (Infosplusgabon) – Two Egyptian peacekeepers under the UN Multidimensional Integrated Mission for Mali Stabilization (MINUSMA) were killed on Saturday in an attack on their convoy by unidentified gunmen near Tarkint, in the Malian northern region of Gao, security sources said.

In a communiqué sent on Sunday, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Mali and chief of MINUSMA, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, strongly condemned this deadly attack.

"As the convoy was carrying out the link between Tessalit and Gao, unidentified gunmen attacked it at a stopover, killing two peacekeepers. The MINUSMA peacekeepers responded strongly and forced the assailants to flee," said the communiqué.

Mr Annadif expressed his indignation and deep pain following the attack against the UN peacekeepers in Mali and said that "those peacekeepers died in service of peace in Mali". He strongly condemned "cowardly acts that aim to compromise  peacekeeping operations on the ground."

"We must combine and increase all efforts to identify and arrest the perpetrators of such terrorist acts so that they respond to their crimes before courts,” he concluded.

The MINUSMA chief offered sincere condolences to the families of the victims as well as their relatives.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/MOL/GABON2020

© Copyright  Infosplusgabon