Ivory Coast in mourning after the death of four of its peacekeepers in Mali
Vehicle of the Minusma peacekeepers between Mopti and Djenné, in central Mali, April 28, 2019 (photo illustration).
© MICHELE CATTANI / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In Mali, the toll has grown heavier.
Minusma announces that a fourth Ivorian peacekeeper has succumbed to his injuries after the explosion of a mine which blew up their vehicle yesterday Wednesday.
These 4 soldiers killed are the first Ivorian peacekeepers to fall in operation in Mali.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan
,
Pierre Pinto
Engaged in Mali since the start of the peacekeeping operation in 2013, the Ivorian army has never had to suffer
such heavy losses
.
From around 200 men originally, the Ivorian contingent was increased to 600 in 2019 and now stands at around 650, deployed around Mopti and Timbuktu.
The commitment in Mali is not debated in Côte d'Ivoire.
Not even in Parliament where the military question is hardly ever debated.
Côte d'Ivoire is even considering further increasing the presence of its peacekeepers within Minusma.
"
This commitment of the Ivory Coast in Mali is an orientation of Alassane Ouattara upon his arrival
", explains researcher Arthur Banga, specialist of the Ivorian army.
“
In 2013, it was a way of showing the normalization of the situation in Côte d'Ivoire and above all of showing that Côte d'Ivoire was an important player in West Africa.
It was also a way of participating in the fight against terrorism without waiting for it to reach the Ivorian borders
, ”adds Arthur Banga.
The attack on Wednesday which cost the lives of Ivorian peacekeepers on the Timbuktu - Douentza axis also left six injured.
One of them therefore succumbed to his injuries during their evacuation to Dakar.
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