UNITED NATIONS, October 4 (RIA Novosti) - The UN Security Council has strongly condemned killing of nine Nigerian UN Peacekeepers in northern Mali and called for an investigation in its statement.
In a press statement issued Friday member of the Security Council "condemned in the strongest terms the targeted ambush against a UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali convoy on the road between Ansongo and Menaka, Mali, on 3 October 2014, that killed nine Nigerian peacekeepers of MINUSMA."
Moreover, they "reiterated their full support to MINUSMA and French forces that support it. The members of the Security Council called on the Government of Mali to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice and stressed that those responsible for the attack shall be held accountable."
The Security Council's statement on Friday "underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. The members of the Security Council reminded the armed groups operating in northern Mali of their commitment to cooperate with the United Nations to prevent attacks against peacekeepers in line with the declaration they signed on 16 September 16, 2014 in Algiers."
The Security Council members' statement on Friday concluded by reiterating "their support for MINUSMA to assist the Malian authorities and the Malian people in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2164."
The attack in point follows another attack in the Kidal Region on September 2 that killed four peacekeepers and wounded 14 others. Back on August 16, the UN condemned the killing by a suicide bomber of "two UN peacekeepers and the wounding of at least seven others in a suicide attack in Ber" in Mali's Timbuktu region.
In June in Aghelhoc also in northern Mali, four UN peacekeepers were killed.
MINUSMA is a United Nations peacekeeping mission established in August 2013 to stabilize Mali after 2012 Tuareg rebellion against the Malian government seeking independence for the country’s northern region.
