UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" Sunday's attack by unknown assailants against a convoy of the UN mission in Mali, which killed three peacekeepers of Bangladeshi origin and injured four others.
The members of the Security Council, in a press statement, expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the Bangladeshi government and the UN mission in Mali, or Minusma.
They called on the government of Mali to swiftly investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
They underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against Minusma peacekeepers constitutes a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to UN Security Council resolutions.
They also reiterated their full support for Minusma and the French forces that support it, and recognized the determination and ownership of the governments of the Group of Five for the Sahel States (G5 Sahel) to address the impact of terrorism and transnational organized crimes, including through the conduct of cross-border joint military counter-terrorist operations.
The members of the Security Council expressed their concern about the security situation in Mali and the transnational dimension of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region.
They urged the Malian parties to fully implement the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali without further delay, noting that the full implementation of the agreement and the intensification of efforts to overcome asymmetric threats can contribute to improving the security situation across Mali.
The efforts of the G5 Sahel joint military force to counter the activities of terrorist groups and other organized criminal groups will contribute to creating a more secure environment in the Sahel region, they said.
The members of the Security Council also stressed the importance that Minusma has the necessary capacities, including combat convoy companies, to fulfil its mandate and promote the safety and security of the UN peacekeepers.
Minusma was established in April 2013 to stabilize the situation in Mali, which is plagued by a civil war between the north and the south, and the rise of Islamist militants.
