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UN peacekeeper killed in Mali attack

June 9, 2023

An attack in northern Mali on a UN patrol has lead to the death of one peacekeeper. The region is a hotbed for Islamist militants.

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UN MINUSMA personnel in Mali
The UN's MINUSMA mission has suffered numerous casualties over the years, making it the deadliest UN peacekeeping missionImage: Florent Vergnes/AFP

A UN peacekeeper was killed during a patrol in northern Mali on Friday, the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping mission said.

Eight more members of the patrol were seriously injured.

The attack took place in a region that has seen numerous violent incidents perpetrated by Islamist groups, some with links to al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State (IS).

What we know so far

The UN mission said that the patrol was first hit by an improvised explosive device close to the town of Ber, in the region of Tombouctou.

The assailants then opened fire on them, killing one. MINUSMA called it a "complex attack," without saying who was behind it.

Militants have been active in northern Mali since 2012. Despite interventions, including Western support, the violence has spread across the Sahel region, killing thousands and displacing over six million, according to the UN.

The UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali is part of the international campaign to tackle the insurgency.

UN's troubled mission in Mali

It currently has 12,000 military personnel in the country. Some 182 MINUSMA peacekeepers were killed in hostile acts from the beginning of the mission in  2013 until the end of 2022.

The fragile situation in Mali was made even more complicated by multiple coups in 2020 and 2021.

The military junta that rules the country has opposed the UN's involvement and moved closer to Russia, allowing the paramilitary Wagner Group entry into the country.

Both France and Germany have announced the end of their involvement in the counter-insurgency mission in Mali following clashes with the military.

Germany to continue development aid to Mali

ab/jcg (Reuters, AFP, AP)