UN Peacekeeping Convoy Attack In Mali Kills 1, hurts 3

A U.N. peacekeeping convoy has been attacked by suspected terrorists in northern Mali, killing a Jordanian peacekeeper and wounding three other Jordanians.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the supply convoy was under sustained fire for about an hour from attackers who used small arms and rocket launchers.

According to Dujarric, the attack has been strongly condemned by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who sent deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers and the government and people of Jordan.

Dujarric said according to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, the attack was the fifth incident in the northern Kidal region in just one week, calling it a tragic reminder of the complexity of the mandate of the U.N. mission and of its peacekeepers, and the threats peacekeepers face on a daily basis

Later, the Security Council released a statement condemning the attack and and calling on authorities in Mali to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. The statement added that council underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012.

Extremist rebels were forced from power in Mali’s northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks in the northern and central regions on civilians and U.N. peacekeepers.

Mali’s military returned to Kidal, a longtime rebel stronghold in the north, in February 2020, six years after its forces retreated amid violence. U.N. peacekeepers have also been deployed in the north.

The U.N. force says over 250 of its peacekeepers and personnel have died since 2013, making Mali the deadliest of the U.N.’s dozen peacekeeping missions worldwide.