UN chief strongly condemns attack that kills peacekeeper in Central African Republic

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned Sunday's attack allegedly perpetrated by the anti-Balaka group against a convoy of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, in which one peacekeeper from Egypt was killed and three others were injured.

“The Secretary-General offers his deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim and to the Government of Egypt. He wishes a swift recovery to the wounded,” said a statement issued by his Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq following the attack, which took place on the Bangassou-Kongbo axis in the country's southeast.

With this latest attack, hostile acts have claimed the lives of 13 peacekeepers in the Central African Republic since January 2017.

The statement said that the Secretary-General firmly recalls that attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and calls on the country's authorities to investigate the attack to swiftly bring those responsible to justice.

The Secretary-General reaffirms the determination of the UN to advance the implementation of the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), recently renewed by the Security Council, in particular to protect civilians and to help advance the political process in the country, the statement added.

In a statement issued to the press on Monday, the Security Council condemned the attack “in the strongest terms.”

Reiterating that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law, the 15-member body called on the Government to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.