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In an attack on a UN base in northeastern Mali, at least ten Chad peacekeepers were killed on Sunday. As announced by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Aguelhok base has been attacked by numerous armed assailants. The soldiers defended themselves from the "attack complex" to the defense. Guterres condemned the attack.
At least ten Chadian soldiers were killed in fighting and 25 others were injured, he said in the statement. The leader of Minusma Mahamat Saleh Annadif spoke of "a shameful and criminal attack". The identity of the aggressors is not yet clear.
The fighters used in the attack in the northeastern town of Aguelhok also have numerous vehicles equipped with weapons, as announced by the UN peacekeeping mission Minusma. Islamic extremists in the Sahel area often use machine guns on flatbed trucks.
Since 2013, 100 soldiers have been killed in Mali
Mali of West Africa has been a staging area for Islamic groups since 2012, which then took control of the north of the country. The former colonial power France intervened militarily in 2013 and rejected the Islamists.
But over 13,000 blue helmet soldiers are repeatedly targeted by attacks. The base of Aguelhok, 200 kilometers north of the city of Kidal on the road to the Algerian border, was attacked last time in April 2018. Two soldiers of the blue helmet were killed and many others they were injured.
Since 2013, over 100 UN soldiers have been killed in Mali. The Bundeswehr is also involved in the effort to stabilize the country of West Africa. The soldiers are mostly stationed in Gao, about 400 kilometers south of Aguelhok. Especially in the north of the country, characterized by the Sahara and the southern border of the Sahel, numerous Islamic groups are active. Some of them have links with Al Qaeda, others have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State.
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