Egyptian Women Police Unit Carries out Successful Mission in Mali

For the first time, an Egyptian all-women peacekeeping unit has successfully broke new ground in mine action in central Mali.

In a statement, UN said that Egyptian women police unit shows the impact of action for peacekeeping, which guides peace operations across 12 active missions.

The all-women team moves to the armory, inspect and pick up their weapons, and Search and Detect equipment.

“This is an alert. This is not a test!” Commander Hossam Shafei, Chief of operations, calls out across the Douentza airfield to Major Doaa Moussa, Commander of the Search and Detect team and Captain Rana Ghourab, who leads an all-women team of peacekeepers working with MINUSMA, the UN Peacekeeping mission in Mali.

The Search and Detect teams are trained to identify explosive ordinances and improvised explosive devices (IED), which can then be safely removed by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, the statement said.

The team deployed in Douentza is working in an area close to dirt roads regularly used by civilians often targeted by terrorists and armed groups, the statement noted.

From 2020 to 2021, the country recorded the second largest increase in terrorism-related deaths of civilians and peacekeepers alike, according to the Global Terrorism Index. Once the task order is released, there is no time to lose.

Brigadier General Ahmed Ezz, Commander of the Egyptian Police Unit, proudly adds that, "the real heroes are those who risk their lives every day for peace".

The MINUSMA Egyptian Formed Police Unit, deployed in Douentza since 2017, has set up three Search and Detect teams to tackle the persistent threat of IEDs in Mali. One of them is composed entirely of women police officers, and it’s the first all-women Search and Detect team deployed in a UN peace operation.

The creation of this team and the work it does is a source of great pride, not only for the Egyptian Formed Police Unit, but also for MINUSMA senior leadership.”

Every second counts and the task is complex and meticulous. If one member of the team does not find one IED or landmine, then the safety and security of the entire convoy is at risk. Major Doaa Moussa is aware of this: “This team must protect the peacekeepers, but also the civilians. It's a heavy responsibility”, she said.