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UN mission says 12 civilians died in Mali soldiers’ revenge

Chief of the Defense Staff General Jonathan Vance arrives with the first Canadian troops to arrive at a UN base in Gao, Mali, on Sunday, June 24, 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick / AP)
Associated Press
Chief of the Defense Staff General Jonathan Vance arrives with the first Canadian troops to arrive at a UN base in Gao, Mali, on Sunday, June 24, 2018. (Sean Kilpatrick / AP)

BAMAKO, Mali – The United Nations mission in Mali says soldiers who are part of a regional counterterrorism force “summarily and/or arbitrarily” executed 12 civilians in retaliation for the death of a fellow soldier.

The U.N. mission said Tuesday that unknown attackers shot a Malian soldier on May 19 at the weekly Boulkessy cattle market. It said fellow soldiers from the Malian battalion of the G5 Sahel Joint Force retaliated, and civilians were killed.

The mission says it has given its investigative report to Mali’s government.

The government has not yet responded.

The mission says it remains concerned about human rights violations in the central region where Islamic extremist groups operate, urging G5 Sahel and Malian forces to conduct military operations in accordance with international human rights law and to protect civilians.