from OMAN MBIKO in Bangui, Central African Republic
BANGUI, (CAJ News) – THE United Nations (UN) has condemned the killing of yet another of its peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR).
He was killed after armed elements of the Return, Reclamation and Rehabilitation (3R) rebel group launched an attack against the UN peacekeeping mission’s convoy in Gedze, Nana-Mambere prefecture (province), in the north-west of the country.
The peacekeeper from Rwanda died on the spot and two others were wounded.
As of the end of May, 110 peacekeepers had been murdered in the Central African country.
António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, decried the repeated attacks on the peacekeeping mission also known as MINUSCA.
He recalled that attacks against UN peacekeepers might constitute war crimes under international law.
Guterres called on CAR authorities to identify the perpetrators of this attack so that they could be brought to justice swiftly.
“He (Guterres) wishes a speedy recovery to the injured,” his spokesperson added.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed UN’s support to national efforts to advance peace and stability in the CAR.
MINUSCA, with some 10 000 troops, was deployed in 2014 following the outbreak of a civil war in CAR.
The war followed an uprising by Muslim extremists, which overthrew the government.
Since then, rebel groups comprising Muslim radicals and Christian militia dominate the country of about 5 million people.
The militants have often violated a peace deal signed by government and rebel groups in 2019, which was brokered by Russia.
– CAJ News