Spotlight: UN mulls increasing troops in Mali amid rising attacks

The UN Security Council will be working on recommendations on capacity building for the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) as well as increasing its troop levels, said Francois Delattre, president of the Security Council for June.

Delattre, also French Ambassador to the UN, said the recent attacks in Mali have indicated that MINUSMA is working in a particularly difficult context.

The UN proposal follows Tuesday's attack when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated at a MINUSMA camp. The attack left one Chinese peacekeeper dead and four others injured, while a dozen UN personnel were equally injured.

In a separate incident on the same day, one civilian contractor from France and two security guards from Mali were killed when the camp of a UN contractor, in another area of the city, was attacked by unknown assailants, a UN security source said.

Speaking after Tuesday's attacks, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reiterated that the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon intends to present to the Security Council proposals to strengthen the mission's posture and capabilities in the coming days.

"He reiterates the long-standing demand to ensure that MINUSMA forces are adequately equipped to operate in a dangerous and unpredictable environment such as Mali," said Dujarric.

As noted in Ban's report in March on situation in Mali, MINUSMA force has been faced with persistent operational difficulties, coupled with security challenges posed by drug trafficking and terrorism.

The report said the mission is under-resourced in terms of armoured personnel carriers, and some units have insufficient equipment.

The strength of the military component of MINUSMA stood at 10,698 personnel and an authorized strength of 11,240, representing 95 percent of authorized military personnel, noted the report.

STRONG CONDEMNATION

The attack at a camp of the UN mission was swiftly condemned by China's Foreign Ministry as well as by the United Nations.

In a statement, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying said China strongly condemns the terrorist attack and has asked the Malian government and the UN to investigate the incident immediately.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and express our heartfelt sympathy to the wounded and the families of the victims," she affirmed.

She, however, said China will continue to participate in international peacekeeping operations and contribute to peace and security in Africa.

In a separate statement released by the UN Spokesman Dujarric, the UN Secretary General condemned Tuesday's attacks in Mali and "expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Governments of China, France and Mali." "He wished a speedy recovery to those injured."

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the recent series of attacks directed against MINUSMA that have killed 12 peacekeepers and injured many more in May alone," said Dujarric, adding that the UN chief had "urged the Government of Mali, with the support of its partners, to expeditiously investigate and hold the perpetrators accountable."

A few hours after Tuesday's attacks, Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) which has been responsible for attacks in other African nations such as Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire, claimed responsibility.

DEADLIEST PEACEKEEPING MISSION

Since its inception in 2013, the UN mission in Mali has already lost more than 60 lives so far, making it the UN's deadliest active mission. In the month of May alone, members of the mission came under three attacks.

A recent attack on May 29 left five Togolese peacekeepers dead. They were travelling in Mali's central region of Mopti when their vehicle came under fire before hitting a landmine.

In 2012, Mali was thrown into chaos when several insurgent groups in the north began a war against the Malian government for independence.

The landlocked country suffered from further conflicts and bloodshed when President Amadou Toumani Toure was ousted in a coup over his handling of the crisis.

MINUSMA was established in 2013 to support the country's reconciliation between the north and south and carry out security-related tasks. However, with many armed groups active in the country, the security situation in the country is still grave. Endit