10 Egyptian peacekeepers wounded by Republican Guard fire in Central Africa
Ten Egyptian soldiers from the peacekeeping force of the United Nations Mission in Central Africa (MINUSCA) were wounded Monday by the Republican Guard in Bangui, the United Nations announced Tuesday, denouncing an "unspeakable deliberate attack."
The United Nations said in a statement, "elements of the Egyptian police unit" were in a bus "and were subjected to heavy fire from the Republican Guard without warning and without any response, while they were unarmed."
And two of them were seriously injured.
The UN mission added, when leaving the firing zone, about 120 meters from the presidential headquarters, that the bus hit a "woman, which led to her death" and offered condolences to the family during an early afternoon meeting.
The elements of the police unit had arrived before noon at Bangui airport, as part of the periodic shift in the deployment of UN forces in the Central African Republic.
They were heading to their base in a bus bearing the UN emblem clearly, according to the mission's spokesman, Vladimir Monteiro.
The Central African Republic authorities did not respond on Tuesday afternoon to an AFP request for comment.
In mid-October, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced "attacks" against peacekeepers involving "defense and security forces deployed by both sides" and which continue at an "unacceptable level".
The organization stressed that these attacks on its employees may constitute "war crimes" under international law.
The United Nations also denounced the "continued disinformation campaigns" targeting MINUSCA.
"Acts like this undermine the implementation of the mission, endanger the lives of peacekeepers and run counter to the commitments of President Faustin-Archange Touadera and the government," Guterres stressed, calling on the Central African authorities to "take concrete measures" to put an end to it.
It also referred to "serious violations" such as "impeding the freedom of movement of MINUSCA patrols, arresting or arresting its personnel" and "threats" and "attempts to search vehicles and accommodations of UN personnel".
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