Tragedy has struck the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali for the second time in recent days. A second peacekeeper has succumbed to injuries sustained during an ambush in the volatile Timbuktu region. This follows an attack on Friday where a security patrol was targeted, first by an improvised explosive device (IED), and then by direct small arms fire. The incident occurred a mere four miles from their base in the town of Ber.

The initial attack claimed the life of one peacekeeper and left eight others seriously wounded, all hailing from Burkina Faso. The UN has now confirmed the passing of Private First Class Bouma Bamouni, 28, on Friday, and First Lieutenant Ali Barro, who would have turned 33 next month, on Sunday. Both peacekeepers joined the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) on October 11, 2022.

This latest fatality marks the tenth UN peacekeeper to die in Mali this year, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by those working to restore stability in the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have strongly condemned the attack and urged Malian authorities to swiftly identify and prosecute those responsible. They emphasized that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

Mali has been grappling with instability since a 2020 coup ousted the elected president. Extremist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been carrying out destabilizing attacks in the country since 2013. The security situation further deteriorated in 2021 when France and its European allies, who had been supporting counter-terrorism efforts in northern Mali, withdrew their forces after the junta partnered with the Russian Wagner Group.