Ten Egyptian blue helmets from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (Minusca) were injured on Monday by shots fired by the presidential guard in Bangui , the UN announced on Tuesday, calling the incident "a deliberate and unspeakable attack."
"The elements of the Egyptian Constituted Police Unit", which were circulating in a bus, "suffered numerous shots from the presidential guard without prior notice or any response, when they were not armed," says the UN in a statement. Two of them were seriously injured.
When leaving the area after the shooting, about 120 meters from the presidential residence, the bus "hit a woman who lost her life," added Minusca, who "expressed its condolences to the victim's family during a meeting at the end of the day".
These blue helmets of the police unit had arrived that same day from Bangui airport as part of the regular rotation and deployment of troops in the Central African Republic.
They were heading to their base in a bus clearly identified "with the initials UN," according to Vladimir Monteiro, spokesman for the Minusca.
Classified as the second least developed country in the world by the United Nations, the Central African Republic was plunged into a bloody civil war following a coup in 2013.
The conflict continues, but has diminished considerably in the last three years, despite the fact that much of the territory continues to elude central control.
