The Malian army camp of Sévaré, in central Mali, was targeted on Saturday by a terrorist attack which left ten civilians dead and 61 injured, according to an official report. No claim at this stage but all eyes are on the Support Group for Islam and Muslims, linked to Al Qaeda. The UN Mission in Mali is now targeted by a disinformation campaign attributing responsibility for these attacks to it, two employees were physically attacked.
The two employees of the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma) went on Sunday April 23 to a site for internally displaced people. They had to assess the damage caused by the terrorist attack which had targeted the military camp and Sévaré airport the day before. But once there, the two civilian employees of the Minusma are taken to task.
According to Fati Kaba, spokesperson for the UN Mission in Mali, there was violence, young people threw stones, pieces of wood, our colleagues got away with it, but unfortunately we have a damaged vehicle “.
Another source of concern is this disinformation campaign carried out on social networks, where messages have multiplied since Saturday to make people believe that it is the Minusma who would organize the terrorist attacks. Argument most often invoked: the United Nations would thus seek to legitimize its presence in Mali.
Conspiratorial messages often embellished with calls for violence: ” These messages are dangerouscontinues Fati Kaba. Who could believe these absurd accusations against Minusma? There is absolutely nothing that justifies or excuses this type of action. We are deployed here with the consent and agreement of the Malian government, and our mandate is to support the efforts of the Malian authorities. If the calls for violence continue, it could be dangerous for our colleagues, who do work for peace and security. »
The mandate of the Minusma in the country must be discussed again next June, between the Security Council of the United Nations and the Malian authorities of transition.