UNITED NATIONS (AP) — According to the United Nations, fifteen peacekeepers from the U.N. were injured in Mali this week when their vehicles hit improvised explosive devices. This occurred as they were withdrawing from a rebel stronghold in northern Mali. The incidents took place on two separate occasions.
The U.N. spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stated that eight peacekeepers who were injured on Wednesday have been evacuated by air and are now in stable condition. Additionally, seven peacekeepers who were injured on Friday were also evacuated by air, although their conditions were not specified.
These peacekeepers had to withdraw earlier than planned due to the growing insecurity in the region. According to Dujarric, they suffered two more IED attacks after leaving their base in Kidal on October 31st.
The extremist group JNIM, which has connections to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks. At least two peacekeepers were injured in those incidents.
Dujarric noted that it is unclear whether the IEDs that targeted the convoy had been there for a long time or if the peacekeepers were deliberately targeted. The convoy is currently heading towards Gao on the east bank of the Niger River and the route they will take is known.
The U.N. hopes that the convoy will complete its 350-kilometer journey to Gao, a staging point for peacekeeping departures, by the end of the weekend.
In June, Mali’s military junta ordered the U.N. peacekeeping force known as MINUSMA to leave the country. This force, which consisted of nearly 15,000 personnel, had been working for a decade to combat the jihadi insurgency in Mali.
The U.N. Security Council terminated MINUSMA’s mandate on June 30th, and the U.N. is currently in the process of completing an unprecedented six-month exit from Mali by December 31st, as described by Secretary-General António Guterres.
MINUSMA was considered one of the most dangerous U.N. peacekeeping missions, with more than 300 members killed since it began operations in 2013.
Earlier, Tuareg rebels took control of Kidal after the convoy left the town. This sparked clashes between the rebels and Mali’s military, leading to the U.N. accelerating its departure. The violence indicates the breakdown of a 2015 peace agreement between the government and the rebels. The agreement was signed after Tuareg rebels expelled security forces from northern Mali in 2012 in their pursuit to establish an independent state called Azawad.
