At least one civilian was killed Monday during a protest against foreign peacekeepers in the Malian city of Kidal, underlining simmering tensions between the local population and UN and French troops based in the area. Local protesters had forced their way onto an airport runway used by UN and French soldiers supporting domestic forces as they battle marauding bandits and a jihadist insurgency, according to several sources.
A source within the UN mission told AFP that "at least one civilian was killed" as angry demonstrators protested about day-to-day "harassment". The UN mission in Mali, also referred to by its acronym MINUSMA, confirmed that the demonstration had taken place but said in a statement that reports of anyone being wounded or killed were "being verified". "The protesters forced their way onto the airport runway around 1000 GMT, a restricted area, ransacking the place and setting fire to security facilities," the UN force said in its statement. A Kidal resident told AFP that UN troops had "fired on the crowd" in the troubled northern city, which provides a base for the foreign contingents.
Comments
Comments are closed.