The Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, expressed his strongest condemnation on Saturday towards the attack that resulted in the death of a Kenyan soldier, known as a “peacekeeper,” in the Central African Republic. The tragic incident took place on Friday, when a group of unidentified assailants ambushed the peacekeeping unit during a long-range patrol near the village of Tabane, located in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture in the southeast of the country.
Guterres conveyed his condolences to the family of the fallen soldier, as well as to the Government and people of Kenya. In his statement, he reminded that attacks targeting UN peacekeeping personnel are considered war crimes under international law. In this regard, he called on the authorities of the Central African Republic to act swiftly in identifying and capturing those responsible for this attack.
The Central African Republic has been experiencing a sectarian conflict since 2012, when predominantly Muslim armed groups began clashing with Christian militias known as anti-balaka. This conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and has left many people reliant on humanitarian aid. The violence has fluctuated since armed groups took the capital in 2013 and overthrew then-President François Bozizé, leading to periods of calm followed by escalations in the conflict.
In an effort to resolve the crisis, authorities have promoted peace talks that began in early 2019 under the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, supported by the UN. An agreement was formalized in Khartoum and signed in the country’s capital, Bangui.
Valentine Rubwabiza, head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), expressed deep concern over the attack. She reported that a rapid response team was deployed in the affected area to secure the zone. Rubwabiza urged local authorities to strengthen their efforts in identifying the perpetrators, emphasizing that this kind of violence will not weaken the determination of the peacekeeping forces in their mission to promote stability and peace in the region.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
