7-year-old boy killed by UN ambassador's convoy in Cameroon

An armoured jeep in United Nations (UN) ambassador Samantha Power's entourage ran over a seven-year-old boy in Cameroon, killing him. Power, accompanied by her aides and journalists, was on her way to meet refugees, especially small children, and other victims of the ongoing war against Boko Haram.

The incident occurred when Power's motorcade was passing through the small city of Mokolo in northern Cameroon. Villagers were lined up along the sides of the road as the high-speed vehicles rushed past them. The vehicles in the motorcade were reportedly riding at a speed of up to 60mph.

A boy suddenly darted on to the road and was mowed down by the sixth car in the entourage. The Cameroonian driver had no time to stop the car before the impact. However, when he did halt the car after the accident, he was reportedly ordered by American security forces to continue driving along with the convoy.

A man was reportedly seen running towards the child to stop him. A Cameroonian security helicopter that was keeping a track on the convoy's movements on the land, witnessed the collision.

An ambulance in the convoy immediately attended to the child, who was then rushed to the local hospital, people familiar with the incident were quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The US ambassador to the UN reportedly returned to the accident scene after her meetings to convey her condolences over the child's death. She said she learned of the death with "great sorrow" and added that she met the boy's family to "offer our profound condolences and our grief and heartbreak."

However, no announcement of compensation was made by the UN ambassador or any of her officials.

The accident, however, slowed down the pace of the convoy for the rest of the day.