(Dakar) Armed men attacked Thursday in Gao a logistics convoy of the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma), AFP learned from Minusma.
“Unidentified armed individuals opened fire against a logistics convoy of the Minusma Force moving from (the locality of) Labbezanga to Gao”, the largest city in northern Mali, in the eponymous region, told the media. AFP a source within the Minusma.
A civilian tanker overturned during the attack which injured a Malian civilian, said the same source, referring to “a provisional assessment”.
On June 30, the UN Security Council put an end to the peacekeeping mission of the Blue Helmets, a withdrawal demanded by Bamako which will take place over six months until the end of 2023.
Since 2012, Mali has been in the grip of a deep security crisis that started in the north and which has spread to the center of the country and to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. It is delivered to the abuses of armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization, but also to the violence of proclaimed self-defense groups, bandits and even regular forces.
Minusma, with around 12,000 soldiers deployed since 2013, is a prime target for jihadists who target foreign presence and state symbols.