UN peacekeeper, two civilians killed in Mali attack

A peacekeeper from Togo and two Malian civilians were killed in an attack on a military convoy in Mali, rounding off a bloody week for foreign forces stationed there, a UN statement said.

Seven other peacekeepers, also from Togo, were wounded in the attack in the central Mopti region on Sunday, according to the statement by the UN mission, known by the acronym MINUSMA.

After a mine or improvised explosive device was detonated, attackers opened fire on the convoy, the UN said, without identifying the assailants.

A MINUSMA spokesman said Malian police would investigate the death of the two civilians, who were following the convoy.

More than 11,000 UN police and military are currently serving in Mali, attempting to guarantee security in lawless swathes of the vast Sahel nation.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the killings “in the strongest terms” and warned that “attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.” 

“Attacks against MINUSMA will not weaken the determination of the Mission to fully implement its mandate in support of the efforts of the Malian Government, the parties to the peace agreement and the people of Mali to achieve lasting peace and stability” Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.