UN Chief Condemns Attack on UN Convoy in Central African Republic

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the recent deadly attack against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, the convoy of the UN mission was attacked by Anti-Balaka militia near the village of Yogofongo, located 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from the country's south-eastern city of Bangassou.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attack perpetrated by suspected anti-Balaka against a convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on 8 May, on the Rafai-Bangassou axis, in the south east of the Central African Republic. The attack led to the death of four peacekeepers while ten others have been evacuated to Bangui. One peacekeeper is still missing," the statement said on Tuesday.

The statement added that Guterres offered his condolences to the bereaved families, as well as to the governments of countries, where the killed peacekeepers were from.

The African nation has been suffering from sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians since the 2013 coup, when Muslim Seleka rebels seized control in the majority-Christian country, overthrowing then-President Francois Bozize, who had ruled the state since 2003. Anti-Balaka militias, composed primarily of Christians, have been conducting violent actions in the Central African Republic since 2013.