New York: The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned a deadly attack on peacekeepers serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), which claimed the life of a Zambian peacekeeper and left another wounded. The ambush occurred on Friday along the Birao-Am Dafock axis in the volatile Vakaga Prefecture, in northeastern CAR, near the border with conflict-hit Sudan.
According to United Nations, the stabilization mission, MINUSCA, reported that the patrol was targeted by unidentified armed elements in the locality of Am-Sissia. This attack may constitute a war crime. In previous months, peacekeepers from Kenya, Tunisia, and Nepal have also suffered casualties in different regions of CAR, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by UN forces.
Valentine Rugwabiza, head of the UN mission, expressed concern over the increasing number of attacks against peacekeepers and called for justice, urging local authorities to take decisive action against those responsible. Since its deployment in 2014, MINUSCA has experienced significant losses, with approximately 150 peacekeepers losing their lives.
The 17,000-strong force was established to help stabilize CAR, a nation plagued by political instability, armed conflict, and humanitarian crises for decades. According to a February report by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), worsening security conditions in certain areas have compelled MINUSCA to intensify patrols, particularly near the Sudanese border, where violence and displacement have increased due to the ongoing civil war between rival militaries.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN's solidarity with the people and Government of CAR, emphasizing the organization's ongoing commitment to peace and stability in the region.
