UN chief condemns suicide attack against UN peacekeepers in Mali

UNITED NATIONS (Xinhua) - The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday condemned a suicide attack in northern Mali, which killed two UN peacekeepers and wounded at least seven others.   Ban is "deeply saddened" by the casualties of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and condemns this and all such criminal acts against UN personnel, said a statement from his spokesperson.

A vehicle exploded earlier Saturday next to a patrol base in the village of Ber, which is in Timbuktu region of northern Mali, according to MINUSMA.

"Such attacks will not deter the United Nations from its efforts to support the Malian people in their search for peace in their country," said Ban in the statement.

On April 25, the UN Security Council approved a 12,600-strong MINUSMA to take over from the African-led mission in Mali on July 1. The mission has been attacked from time to time.

Mali had witnessed a military coup, renewed fighting between government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the seizure of its northern territory by radical Islamists since early 2012. The West African country is now in the process of restoring democracy with the help of the United Nations and regional African bodies.