UN Peacekeeping Mission Condemns Deadly Attack on Peacekeepers in Central African Republic

YAOUNDE, Xinhua: The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic on Saturday strongly condemned a deadly attack on its Friday patrol in the country’s north that killed a Zambian peacekeeper.

The patrol, part of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), came under fire from unidentified gunmen. Two Zambian peacekeepers were seriously injured and one of them later died from his injuries, the agency said in a statement.

“This is the third deadly attack on MINUSCA patrols since the beginning of 2025,” it said, noting the agency’s head, Valentine Rugwabiza, warned that attacks on UN peacekeepers “may constitute war crimes under international law.”

Rugwabiza, also the UN secretary-general’s special representative for the Central African Republic, called on the country’s authorities “to make every effort to identify the perpetrators of these acts so that they can be swiftly brought to justice,” said the statement, extending condolences to Zambia.

The Central African Republic has recently seen a spike in serious security incidents. In separate attacks in February and March, a Tunisian and a Kenyan peacekeeper were killed.