More UN peacekeepers injured in Mali withdrawal

A convoy of the United Nations mission in Mali was hit again by improvised explosive devices over the weekend, injuring 22 more peacekeepers in the process of withdrawing from the country, a spokesperson said.

"On Saturday, the convoy encountered two other improvised explosive devices near the town of Anefis," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told reporters on Monday.

He said that "22 peacekeepers had to be evacuated by air to receive immediate treatment in Gao."

It is the sixth such incident since the convoy left Kidal, Dujarric said, adding that "all medical evacuation flights operated without any problems."

Eight peacekeepers were injured and evacuated on November 1 and another seven last Friday due to other improvised explosive devices.

Malian authorities have also allowed "resupply flights to provide the convoy with water, fuel rations and other essential items," said the spokesman, who last week had criticized a la ck of flight authorization for MINUSMA's withdrawing forces.

The country's ruling junta, which seized power in 2020, had in June demanded the departure of the mission from Mali, despite being in the grip of extremism and raging crises.

The withdrawal is due to be completed by December 31.

Kidal was the third and final MINUSMA camp to be evacuated in the Kidal region of Mali's volatile north, which has been wracked by extremist and separatist violence.

While the final departure from Kidal was initially planned for the second half of November, a deterioration in security pushed MINUSMA to accelerate its withdrawal, irritating the junta, whose forces had not yet reached the camp.

A Tuareg-dominated alliance of armed groups that recently relaunched a rebellion against the state claimed to have taken over the Kidal camp shortly after MINUSMA left.