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| UN's Minusma troops 'sexually assaulted Mali woman' | |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| At least four UN peacekeepers have been involved in the sexual assault of a woman in Mali, according to the UN. | |
| The soldiers have been identified as being among 1,500 Chadian troops serving with Minusma, which took over security duties in the country in July. | |
| The UN says it wants Chad to investigate the incident and take disciplinary action against the men. | The UN says it wants Chad to investigate the incident and take disciplinary action against the men. |
| Residents told the BBC that several women were raped by the soldiers in the northern city of Gao last Thursday. | |
| In January, French forces led an operation involving Malian and West African troops to oust Islamist militants from the north. | |
| A 12,600-strong United Nations peace force is currently deploying to the West African nation, as France withdraws its troops. | |
| Medical help | Medical help |
| The assault is believed to have happened last Thursday in Gao, which was in the area seized by militants following a coup in March 2012. | |
| The woman is thought to have come forward seeking medical help from the UN immediately after the attack. This triggered the UN force to launch an investigation. | The woman is thought to have come forward seeking medical help from the UN immediately after the attack. This triggered the UN force to launch an investigation. |
| The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Bamako says it is not known exactly how many Chadians were involved, but the victim identified four soldiers as having assaulted her. | The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Bamako says it is not known exactly how many Chadians were involved, but the victim identified four soldiers as having assaulted her. |
| At the time, 165 Chadian soldiers had just arrived in Gao, our correspondent adds. | |
| They had defied the orders of their superiors and left their base in Tessalit, in the remote far north, after a dispute over pay and conditions. | |
| Residents told the BBC they were scared by the presence of the Chadian soldiers, who were armed and arrived in Gao in 40 vehicles and stayed for several days without a place to sleep. | |
| They allege that several women were raped by a group of Chadian soldiers in a room adjoining a bar in the city centre. Only one woman has come forward to report an assault. | |
| A Minusma spokesman in Bamako said it was for the Chadian authorities to decide on what disciplinary action they should take against the men. | A Minusma spokesman in Bamako said it was for the Chadian authorities to decide on what disciplinary action they should take against the men. |
| He said the victim would be offered medical, psychological and legal support but not financial compensation. | He said the victim would be offered medical, psychological and legal support but not financial compensation. |
| The Chadians are part of a force of 6,000 African troops serving under in Minusma peacekeeping force. | |