The UN “
firmly
” condemned Thursday, November 4 “
the unacceptable attack
” carried out on Monday against Egyptian peacekeepers in the Central African Republic by the guard of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, calling for an investigation into these events.
Read also "Most French soldiers are killed without seeing the enemy": how are our forces fighting in the Sahel?
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, recalled "
that the attacks against the peacekeepers of the United Nations can constitute a war crime
" and called to "
investigate this unacceptable attack so that the perpetrators answer quickly for their acts.
», According to a press release from his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
"
Heavy fire
"
Ten unarmed Egyptian peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (Minusca) were injured on Monday, including two seriously, by the presidential guard who opened fire on their bus in the capital Bangui.
The services of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra justified these shots by accusing the Egyptian soldiers of having taken photos of the Head of State's residence, which is prohibited, and of refusing to stop their vehicle.
Read also COP26: in the Sahel, a Great Green Wall against the desert
The Blue Helmets "
came under heavy fire from the presidential guard without any prior warning or response, even though they were not armed,
" Minusca retorted in a statement on Tuesday. Antonio Guterres also sent Thursday “
his deep condolences to the bereaved family of the Central African civilian who was killed during the incident,
” says Stéphane Dujarric. Both the Central African presidency and Minusca had reported a woman fatally shot by the peacekeeper bus as it left the area after the shootings.
Classified as the second least developed country in the world by the UN, the Central African Republic was plunged into a bloody civil war after a coup d'état in 2013. This conflict continues but has considerably decreased in intensity over the past three years, even if sections whole territories continue to escape central power.
La Minusca, deployed in 2014 and whose mandate expires on November 15, has nearly 12,000 soldiers and represents one of the most expensive UN peacekeeping operations with an annual budget exceeding one billion dollars.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/U2KSL34UTV4DROZKNOFSLSXMGU.jpg)
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/KMEYMJKESBAZBE4MRBAM4TGHIQ.jpg)
