UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Sunday strongly condemned a terrorist attack on a UN base in the Malian town of Kidal, which killed a Chadian peacekeeper and wounded four others.
“These attacks will not alter the determination of the United Nations to support the Malian people in its search for peace,” a statement released by the spokesman for UN secretary-general following the latest in a series of armed assaults against UN personnel and contractors in the Kidal and Gao Regions.
“This latest attack only highlights the urgency of reaching a political settlement to end the conflict and enable the full restoration of State authority across the entire Malian territory.”
The Deputy Special Representative in Mali, Arnauld Akodjenou, echoed Ban’s sentiments, stressing that the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) would remain determined to fulfil its Security Council mandate.
“Such violence against the UN peacekeeping forces is a serious crime and those responsible will be brought to justice,” he said. A press statement agreed upon by the Members of the Security Council also underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.
MINUSMA’s press release said the base was attacked shortly before 7.00 am, when a suicide vehicle was detonated near a MINUSMA checkpoint about a kilometre away, killing a peacekeeper and wounding another from the Chadian contingent.
