MINUSMA The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (, MINUSMA) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 to stabilise t ...

base in Kidal, northern Mali, was attacked on 28 November 2015. Two Guinean soldiers and a Burkinabe contractor were killed, with 20 more injured. Ansar Dine claimed responsibility for the attack.

Background

Following the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...

s fighting in the

Libyan Arab Republic Muammar Gaddafi became the ''de facto'' leader of Libya on 1 September 1969 after leading a group of young Libyan Army officers against King Idris I in a bloodless coup d'état. After the king had fled the country, the Revolutionary Comman ...

's Libyan army fled to northern Mali with weapons. The ensuing insurgency quickly led to the self-declared independence and consequent armed Islamist insurgency by

MOJWA The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MOJWA) or the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MUJWA; ar, جماعة التوحيد والجهاد في غرب أفريقيا ''Jamāʿat at-tawḥīd wal-jih ...

and Ansar Dine against the secular MNLA. This led to

Operation Serval Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the ...

by France. The UN base in Kidal was targeted in March as well, resulting in the deaths of two children and a

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

ian peacekeeper. In the days preceding the November 2015 attack, the

Radisson Blu Radisson Blu is an international chain of hotels operated by Radisson Hotels. With roots dating back to the 1960s, the Radisson Blu brand name came into existence in 2009 with a rebranding from Radisson SAS. Its hotels are found in major cities, ...

was attacked in Mali's capital,

Bamako Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on t ...

. The attack was claimed by three Islamist militant groups —

al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to ...

, its splinter group, the secular named al Mourabitoun and Massina Liberation Front. MINUSMA has had over 50 deaths, making it the most fatal UN mission since the 1993-95

UNOSOM II United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia and took place from March 1993 until March 1995, following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. UNOSOM II carried on ...

in Somalia.

Attack

According to

spokesman Olivier Salgado, the attack happened in Kidal at about 04:00 when "four or five rockets landed inside the base." After the rockets landed, bursts of gunfire occurred. Mortar fire also emanated from inside the camp. At least 2 Guinean troops and a civilian contractor were killed, 14 others were wounded. The camp had received a warning two days before the attack from an unnamed Islamist group. A local government official, Ahmoudene Ag Ikmasse, blamed radical Islamists.

Responsibility

Ansar Dine claimed responsibility for the attack.

Reactions

MINUSMA chief Mongi Hamdi issued a statement that read the attacks "would not dent the determination of the UN to support the Malian people and the peace process, including assisting in the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali." The UN issued a statement that read: "The members of the Security Council called on the Government of Mali to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice, and stressed that those responsible for the attack should be held accountable" and that it may constitute war crimes.

References

{{coord missing, Mali Kidal Terrorist incidents attributed to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Kidal Region in the Mali War November 2015 events in Mali November 2015 crimes in Africa United Nations and the Mali War 2015 building bombings Building bombings in Mali Attacks on military installations in 2015 Attacks on military installations in Mali