Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Sierra Leone

UN probes peacekeepers' deaths, Annan offers condolences

    ABIDJAN

    A UN team is investigating the death of six Zambian peacekeepers in eastern Sierra Leone, UN Mission to Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) Deputy Spokesman Patrick Coker told IRIN on Wednesday.

    The peacekeepers were transporting weapons collected from former combatants when some mortar rounds exploded in their faces on Saturday, news agencies reported. Coker said 12 others who had been injured were still in hospital. Ten of them, he said, were found to have no life-threatening injuries.

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent a condolence message on Tuesday to the families of the deceased, saying he was saddened by the tragic event "which called attention to the perilous aspects of the work" of peacekeepers. "The Secretary-General deeply regrets the deaths of these Zambian peacekeepers and extends sincere condolences to their families," the message read.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join