Two UN peacekeepers were killed and five were seriously injured in a mine explosion: according to information released by the United Nations mission in Mali, an “armored vehicle part of the supply convoy hit a mine on the Tessalit road. Gao “, in the north of the country. A UN mission official (Minusma) said both victims were Egyptians. The wounded were evacuated after a rapid intervention force was sent to the scene.
The UN condemned what happened immediately: mission representatives declared that it could constitute a war crime under international law, stressing with concern the frequent use by terrorist groups of improvised explosive devices to paralyze operations and hinder the return to peace and stability. The mines and improvised explosive devices in Mali – they denounced – indiscriminately affect the personnel of the United Nations, the Malian defense and security forces and the communities we serve “.
In New York, the UN Security Council also asked the Malian authorities to launch an investigation, reiterating the warning that “attacks against peacekeepers can constitute war crimes under international law”. Minusma – the United Nations Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali – is one of the largest UN peacekeeping operations, as well as one of the most dangerous.