In Mali, a Minusma blue helmet killed in the explosion of a mine in Kidal

Published on: 06/19/2022 – 14:48 A blue helmet from the Guinean contingent of Minusma was killed on Sunday in the explosion of a mine in Kidal, in northern Mali. A death which occurs in a tense context of negotiations on the renewal of the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission. A blue helmet from the United Nations mission in Mali was killed on Sunday, June 19, in the explosion of a mine in Kidal (north), while he was participating in a patrol, announced the head of Minusma El -Ghassim Wane on his Twitter account. 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 succumbed to his injuries at our hospital in Kidal”, he added. This new death occurs in a tense context of negotiations on the renewal of the mandate of Minusma, the mission of UN peacekeepers who suffered the most casualties. A total of 175 of its peacekeepers died in hostile acts. Saddened by the death this morning, in #Kidal, of 1 of our #bluehelmets who jumped on 1 #mine while participating in 1 patrol. Terrible news that adds to the long list of our colleagues who have lost their lives during their service in #Mali. #ServiceandSacrifice— El-Ghassim Wane (@elghassimw) June 19, 2022 Serious security crisis “Terrible news which adds to the long list of our colleagues who have lost their lives during their service in Mali”, reacted El-Ghassim Wane on Twitter. Improvised explosive devices (IED) are one of the weapons of choice for jihadists against Minusma as well as Malian forces. They also regularly kill many civilians. A landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel, Mali has been the scene of two military coups – first in August 2020, then in May 2021. The political crisis goes hand in hand with a crisis ongoing security situation since 2012 and the outbreak of separatist and jihadist insurgencies in the north. stem the jihadist spread that has reached the center as well as neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. This violence left thousands of civilian and military dead but also hundreds of thousands of displaced people. With AFP