Almost 300 Cambodian peacekeepers back home from UN Mission in Mali

Almost 300 Cambodian peacekeepers back home from UN Mission in Mali

298 Cambodian blue helmet troops including 25 of them are women, of the Airport Engineering Unit 972 and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 882 arrived home Monday, after successfully completing their mission under the United Nations umbrella in the Republic of Mali.

General Sem Sovanny, Director General of the National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces, Mines and ERW Clearance (NPMEC), presided over the homecoming ceremony at Phnom Penh International Airport.

Earlier on Oct. 1, 2021 more than 300 Cambodian Peackeepers, including 26 women, departed for Mali to replace their counterparts who returned home this morning.

According to NPMEC, since 2006, Cambodia has sent over 7,000 troops for the UN peacekeeping operations in Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Cyprus, Lebanon, Mali, Syria, and Yemen.

Currently, nearly 800 Cambodian peacekeepers, of them about 80 are women, have been fulfilling their missions in Lebanon, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, and Central African Republic. 

Ukraine sends peacekeepers to Mali for the first time

UKRAINE SENDS PEACEKEEPERS TO MALI FOR THE FIRST TIME

Ukrainian national staff consisting of 5 people joined the United Nations multidisciplinary integrated mission related to stabilization of situation in Mali for the first time. This was reported by Deputy Director of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Head Department of military cooperation and peacekeeping operations Colonel Valentyn Levchyk, as the press office of the Ukrainian Ground Forces informs.

According to Levchyk, 61 representative of Ukrainian national staff complete tasks in missions of the UN, NATO and joint peacekeeping forces in many countries.

Particularly, this is the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Congo Republic (12 people), UN mission in Kosovo (2 people), UN mission in the Republic of South Sudan (4 people), UN temporary security forces in Abyei (6 people), UN peacekeeping forces in Cyprus (1 person); “Strong Support” NATO training mission in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (21 people), multidisciplinary integrated UN Stabilization Mission in Mali (5 people) and joint peacekeeping forces in the Republic of Moldova Transnistrian region security zone (10 military observers).

“High evaluation from the international partners has become the basis of the stable invitation of Ukraine to participate in new and existing peace missions as well as for extension of geographical location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the peacekeeping activity all over the world,” Levchyk noted.

Suicide attackers injure one French 5 Estonian troops at Mali base

SUICIDE ATTACKERS INJURE ONE FRENCH, 5 ESTONIAN TROOPS AT MALI BASE

PARIS: Suicide bombers in a vehicle painted with UN markings injured one French, several Estonian troops and two Malian civilians in an attack on an international peace-keeping base in Mali, France’s military said Tuesday. The car bomb blast at the base — which is shared between the French military, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, and Mali’s armed forces — targeted the entrance to the French part of the camp on Monday.

French military spokesman Colonel Frederic Barbry told AFP that a “suicide vehicle” was used in the attack. “Two Estonian troops and one French soldier, wounded, remain hospitalised,“ he said, adding that their conditions were not life-threatening.

Estonia’s defence ministry said five of its soldiers had suffered injuries. Two Malian civilians were also wounded in the blast, according to the French military. “Two people were in the suicide vehicle, which bore the MINUSMA colours,“ Barbry said. He added that one attacker, dressed in a uniform resembling that of the Malian army, “was neutralised by the guards after exiting the vehicle, armed and making aggressive gestures”. The other was killed in the explosion.

A Malian security source had earlier told AFP that there were at least three suicide bombers in the car, which had been painted in the colours of UN vehicles. Malian authorities have struggled to improve security since France intervened in 2013 to drive back Islamic insurgents in the north. Large swathes of the West African country remain out of the government’s control.

Around 50 Estonian troops provide protection and security patrols for the Gao camp, which is the main base for the French Operation Barkhane. A year ago, French soldiers on patrol were targeted in Gao by a car bomb attack, which left four dead and around 20 civilians wounded.

Around 4,000 French troops are deployed under Operation Barkhane alongside the MINUSMA peacekeeping force of around 15,000 soldiers and police.

United Kingdom 250 troops to send to Mali for dangerous peacekeeping mission

UNITED KINGDOM 250 TROOPS TO SEND TO MALI FOR DANGEROUS PEACEKEEPING MISSION

The UK is to send 250 troops to Mali in the biggest peacekeeping deployment since Bosnia and potentially the most dangerous mission for British forces since Afghanistan. The soldiers will form a long-range reconnaissance task group, specifically chosen for their ability to operate in small teams and in violent, contested areas of the country.

They will be asked reach parts of Mali that most militaries cannot, to feed on-the-ground intelligence back to the mission headquarters in Gao. They will arrive in the country early next year. "They will do the part of the heavy lifting. They will do the operations in very contentious areas... where we have a great deal of uncertainty. They will do operations where we face threats to us and to the civilian populations," the UN Force Commander Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporre explained.

Although wearing the distinctive light blue UN helmets and deployed with a peacekeeping mandate, it's privately acknowledged that they will likely be targeted by extremist groups fighting for power in one of the world's poorest and most dangerous countries.

The British deployment comes as security in Mali and the wide Sahel region has deteriorated rapidly in recent months, causing thousands of people to be displaced and a dramatic spike in deaths. A range of violent factions - some allied to al Qaeda - are vying for influence, and Islamic State in West Africa has successfully established a foothold in Mali.

Such is the concern within the British government that a Joint Sahel Task Group has been established in London to address the potential threats from what is known as the G5: Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. A regional hub has been set up in Dakar and two new British embassies will open in Niger and Chad. Close to £10m will be spent on security and humanitarian initiatives in the region this year.

Albeit relatively small, the deployment has been welcomed by the UN in New York and is being seen in the British government as one of the most significant military commitments since Afghanistan and the fight against Islamic State. Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt travelled to Mali to make the announcement in person.

She said: "In one of West Africa's poorest and most fragile regions it is right that we support some of the world's most vulnerable people and prioritise our humanitarian and security efforts in the Sahel." France, with historical links in Mali, is the biggest military force in the country with more than 4,500 troops fighting Islamist extremists. The Paris government has paid a heavy toll for the five-year commitment, losing 15 soldiers and many more injured.

Three RAF Chinook helicopters and around 100 personnel have been operating with French forces in the north of the country since 2018, in a non-combat role. The Chinooks have provided valuable heavy-lift to the mission, a capability the French don't have. That commitment was recently extended by a further six months to June 2020, viewed as a gesture of Anglo-French goodwill post-Brexit.

Senegal Sends 200 Soldiers to Mali to Support Peacekeeping Operation

SENEGAL SENDS 200 SOLDIERS TO MALI TO SUPPORT PEACEKEEPING OPERATION

Dakar, January 16, 2017. According to the digital portal Metrodakar. net. The Senegalese army sent today about 200 soldiers to support a peacekeeping operation in the center of Mali.

According to the sources consulted, the soldiers are currently in Mopti, a city where the Niger River joins the Bani, between Timbuktu and Ségou, in the central part of the African nation.

According to military spokesmen, the operation will mobilize no less than a thousand soldiers and aims at securing the area before the presidential elections this year.

The mission responds to a call by extremist Islamic elements in the Sahel to unite and confront the joint strength of the five countries of the region (G5), composed of troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad, to confront the terrorist Islamic State in the area.

Senegal is not part of the G5 but will provide its contribution to preventing the spread of violence in the neighboring country, and prevent passage, to cross its borders.

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES UN SUPPORT FOR G5 SAHEL TROOPS IN MALI

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES UN SUPPORT FOR G5 SAHEL TROOPS IN MALI

The Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing UN peacekeepers in Mali to provide logistical and operational support to the new G5 Sahel anti-jihadist force there.

The resolution, drafted by France, was the subject of tough negotiations with the United States, which had opposed any UN involvement in the force made up of troops provided by Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The dialogue has been frank, constructive and I believe productive,” French envoy Francois Delattre said of discussions with his American counterpart Nikki Haley. Haley noted the “creativity” of the text, stressing that the United States is committed to supporting African countries in their fight against terrorism.

The resolution stated that “the activities of criminal organizations and terrorists in the Sahel region pose a threat to international peace and security.” The UN’s mission in Mali, which has some 10,000 peacekeepers, would provide medical evacuations, fuel, water, rations, and engineering units to assist the G5 Sahel troops. The assistance will only be available in Malian territory, and must not harm the peacekeeping mission, the resolution said.

The G5 force conducted its first operation last month in the Sahel region, which has turned into a hotbed of lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, Islamists took over northern Mali in 2012, and the Boko Haram group became active in northern Nigeria. To overcome US reluctance in assisting the new African force as Washington seeks to cut its spending on UN programs, the resolution adopted Friday provides for a European Union-coordinated funding mechanism that will reimburse the UN for all expenses related to the G5 Sahel force.

French President Emmanuel Macron has complained about the sluggish deployment of the G5 Sahel and said it needed more troops and military means. He has called an international meeting in Paris next Wednesday in an effort to address the shortfalls. The resolution adopted Friday will help the G5 Sahel force become fully operational more quickly, Delattre said. France has its own 4,000-strong military presence in the region, known as Barkhane. Financing of the G5 Sahel, which Paris says would need 400 million euros ($473 million) when it is fully operational next year, is not yet assured.

It is expected to be a 5000-strong force when it reaches full strength. The death in October of four American soldiers in Niger ambushed by Islamic militants highlighted the US’s own military role in the region. It has about 800 troops in Niger.

CANADA TO END UN PEACEKEEPING TROOP CONTRIBUTION TO MALI

CANADA TO END UN PEACEKEEPING TROOP CONTRIBUTION TO MALI

Canada will not be sending hundreds of peacekeepers to support a United Nations mission in Mali in the near future, officials said on Wednesday, a move likely to disappoint allies who want Canadians to play a role in the West African country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year promised to contribute up to 600 troops to peacekeeping operations and Canadian defense experts made three trips to Mali, where soldiers under the U.N. are fighting Islamist militants.

Canada said it would split its soldiers among various missions instead, with no more than 200 going to any one spot, and will offer transport aircraft and helicopters in a series of “smart pledge” initiatives. It will also help train peacekeepers. U.N. officials downplayed concerns, saying that if Canada had pledged its troops and equipment to a single mission, like Mali, then those assets could not be deployed to support other missions in the region.

“This is exactly what we need, we need flexibility we need to be able to allocate these resources where we need them the most,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, a U.N. under-secretary general for peacekeeping operations, told reporters. Lacroix said talks continue on how Canadian assets will be deployed, but added, “I‘m sure there’s a strong determination to turn this commitment into a concrete action on the ground.”

Earlier on Wednesday, a Canadian official told reporters the option of sending forces to Mali one day was still alive, but added the planning process took at least six months, “So you’re not going to going to see some kind of rapid deployment to any mission, let alone a complex one like Mali.”

Trudeau sidestepped questions about the likely international reaction at a news conference, saying the varied measures Canada was proposing would serve the U.N. better. Unhappy allies this year said Canada’s bid for a U.N. Security Council seat could suffer unless Trudeau lived up to his promises.

“This approach will be a disappointment to some, and the Canadian government will have to work hard to overcome the credibility it has lost in not following through on its initial pledge,” said Jane Boulden, a security studies expert at Queen’s University in Kingston. Government insiders said enthusiasm for the Mali mission faded as the extent of likely casualties and the complex nature of the conflict became clear. More than 80 members have been killed since 2013, making Mali the world’s deadliest peacekeeping operation.

18 PEOPLE HAD BEEN KILLED AFTER GUNMEN SEIZE A CAFE FOR HOURS IN BURKINA FASO

18 PEOPLE HAD BEEN KILLED AFTER GUNMEN SEIZE A CAFE FOR HOURS IN BURKINA FASO

United Nations: Gunmen stormed an upscale cafe overnight in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, strafing the building with bullets and barricading themselves inside for hours. By the time security forces reclaimed the restaurant around dawn Monday, at least 18 people had been killed and eight others wounded, according to local authorities.

The West African nation's communications minister, Remis Dandjinou, told reporters Monday that by daybreak, two of the attackers had been killed and several foreign nationals were among the dead. In separate statements, officials in Paris and Ankara confirmed the victims include a French citizen and Turkish citizen, while another Turk was injured in the violence.

While Burkinabe officials blamed Islamist militants for the attack on the Turkish cafe, no one group immediately claimed responsibility. "I salute the bravery of our security and defense forces whose engagement allowed us to neutralize the terrorists," Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said in a statement. "The struggle against terrorism is a lengthy fight," he added. "That is why I am calling for vigilance, solidarity and unity of the whole nation to face up to the cowardice of our enemies."

In a news conference Monday, Dandjinou detailed the night's bloody events, which opened when he says about three to four militants rolled up to the cafe on motorcycles around 9 p.m. local time. They opened fire on an outside seating area outside then moved indoors, where The New York Times notes a family had been celebrating a 9-year-old boy's birthday.

The local newspaper reports the boy was hospitalized with injuries from the attack. For Burkinabes, the attack on Aziz Istanbul cafe, which is popular with foreigners, prompts bitter memories of another bloody episode just over 18 months ago. In January last year, militants conducted an hours-long raid on a luxury hotel and a cafe just blocks away from Aziz Istanbul, ultimately killing some 30 people before being dislodged by security forces.  Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, a militant group based in the region, claimed responsibility for that attack as well as another deadly assault just months before in neighboring Mali.

Islamist groups have been active for years in the Sahel region, which includes Mali and Burkina Faso. As groups linked to al-Qaida have carried out attacks in the area, the Times points out that the United Nations peacekeeping mission to Mali "has become one of the most dangerous in the world." The French government which controlled Burkina Faso, then called Upper Volta, as a colony until 1960 says President Emmanuel Macron met with Kabore on Monday to discuss the circumstances of the latest attack. The pair of leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the formation of an international security force in the Sahel region to "continue the fight against terrorist groups."