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1st LD Writethru: UN chief deplores deadly shooting incident in Mali

Xinhua, May 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Thursday deplored the shooting incident which killed on Monday a Bangladeshi peacekeeper and wounded another in Bamako, Mali, calling on the Malian authorities to "swiftly and thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice."

The secretary-general expressed his sincere condolences to the family of the victim and the government of Bangladesh, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured peacekeeper, said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

He reaffirms the willingness of the UN Mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, to cooperate closely with Malian authorities in this effort, the statement said.

Unidentified assailants on Monday opened fire on two United Nations peacekeepers in Mali's capital Bamako, killing one and wounding another, reports said.

With more than 40 peacekeepers killed since its inception in 2013, the 11,000-strong MINUSMA is considered the most dangerous UN mission in the world.

On April 25, 2014, the UN Security Council approved a 12,600- strong MINUSMA to take over from the African-led mission in Mali on July 1, 2014. The mission is regularly targeted by armed groups in the north. While attacks in the capital are rare, Monday's ambush came just five days after an assailant opened fire on a UN residence in the city's Faso Kanu neighborhood.

Mali had witnessed a military coup, renewed fighting between government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the seizure of its northern territory by radical Islamists since early 2012. The West African country is now in the process of restoring democracy with the help of the United Nations and regional African bodies. Endite