Mali UN mission
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Two Nigerian officers from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali were shot dead by an unidentified gunman while on patrol near the city of Timbuktu, according to the United Nations.

The two peacekeepers who died in the attack included a woman while four others were injured in the attack, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) strongly condemned the deadly attack via its official Twitter handle.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council released a joint statement strongly condemning the attack.

"The Secretary-General also extends his solidarity with Mali. He recalls that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. He calls on the Malian authorities to spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing the perpetrators of these heinous attacks to justice," the statement read.

Since the start of the peacekeeping mission in 2013, at least 174 peacekeepers have been killed in hostile acts, Reuters reported.

In another incident, three United Nations peacekeepers were killed and three others seriously injured when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in northern Mali on 17th Oct 2022.

The peacekeepers were on a mine search and detection patrol in the northern commune of Tessalit, in the Kidal region, when they were hit by an improvised explosive device.

Background

Mali has been contending with an armed rebellion since 2012 which has resulted in thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes.

The UN Security Council authorized the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to deploy in July 2013 to help stabilize Mali and assist the country's return to constitutional order.

This was after joint efforts by the African Union and France failed to resolve the conflict.

The mission's main goals are to monitor the implementation of ceasefire agreements, facilitate political reconciliation, assist in the integration of displaced persons, deliver humanitarian assistance and work alongside Malian authorities to protect human rights.

However, MINUSMA's peacekeeping efforts are in question as the violence continues to surge throughout the African nation.

In recent years, Mali has seen two military coups and growing tensions between the UN mission and Mali's military rulers. These tensions have been amplified by the alleged arrival of Russia's Wagner Group fighters to support the government's forces.