The bodies of the four Ivorian soldiers killed in Mali in mid-January were repatriated on Friday to Côte d'Ivoire where a tribute ceremony is scheduled for Monday.
Their remains arrived at the end of the day at Abidjan airport, AFP journalists noted.
Three of them were killed in the explosion of an artisanal mine on January 13 between Douentza and Timbuktu, in northern Mali, where they were on patrol.
The fourth, injured by the same explosion, died the next day during his evacuation to Senegal.
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They were integrated into the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma), in which 816 Ivorians are deployed, according to UN figures.
“Their painful departure is a reminder of the challenges we face every day on the ground in Mali.
I strongly condemn these attacks against Minusma personnel.
This is a worrying development but we must not let such events discourage us
,
”
said Dennis Gyllensporre, commander of the Minusma, who made the trip.
They are the first Ivorians of Minusma killed in combat.
On Friday, Ivorian Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko handed over an envelope of 15 million CFA francs (about 23,000 euros) to each of the four families of victims.
Few countries in the sub-region provide the families of soldiers killed in combat with a financial envelope.
"The whole Nation will pay (Monday) a deserved tribute to our heroes,"
he said at the airport.
"This will be the opportunity to convey to all the families who have suffered the homage of the Nation, the honor, the pride that we feel towards these brothers, your spouses, your parents who have paid the supreme sacrifice. , their commitment to peace for the country and for the sub-region ”
The UN mission in Mali, present in the country since 2013, is 15,000 men and women strong, including around 12,000 soldiers, the majority of whom are African.
Since its deployment, Minusma has lost 146 of its members in hostilities, 60 of which were during or following explosions of improvised explosive devices, one of the operating methods among the most used in the Sahel by the jihadist groups, some affiliated with Al-Qaeda and others with the Islamic State organization.