A UN peacekeeper killed in the explosion of a mine in Mali
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A UN peacekeeper was killed by a mine on Sunday in northern Mali while taking part in a patrol, tweeted the head of the MINUSMA force in Mali, El Ghassim Wane.
The blue helmet was part of the Guinean contingent of MINUSMA, a MINUSMA official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “He was first injured and died from his injuries in our hospital in Kidal,” he added.
The latest death comes amid tense negotiations over the renewal of MINUSMA’s mandate.
175 peacekeepers from MINUSMA have died so far
A total of 175 of its peacekeepers died in hostile acts.
“Terrible news to add to the long list of our colleagues who have lost their lives while serving in Mali,” Wane wrote on Twitter.
Saddened by the death this morning at #Kidalof 1 of our #blue helmet who jumped on 1 #mine while participating in 1 patrol. Terrible news which adds to the long list of our colleagues who have lost their lives in the course of their service at the #Mali. #ServiceandSacrifice
— El-Ghassim Wane (@elghassimw) June 19, 2022
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the jihadists’ weapons of choice against MINUSMA as well as Malian forces. They also regularly kill civilians.
Mali, a poor and landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel, suffered military coups in August 2020 and May 2021.
The political crisis has been accompanied by a serious security crisis since 2012 and the outbreak of separatist and jihadist insurgencies in the north. The country is now ruled by a junta that has turned away from France and its partners, and turned to Russia to try to stem the jihadist threat that has spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
The violence left thousands of civilians and soldiers dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
(AFP)