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A diplomatic convoy in Cameroon carrying the US ambassador to the United Nations accidentally struck and killed a 7-year-old boy on Monday, the State Department said.

Samantha Power is in Cameroon with officials from USAID and the US Department of Defence as part of Washington's effort to support local authorities in their fight against the extremist group Boko Haram.

According to reports, one of the vehicles in her convoy struck and killed the Cameroonian child.

The incident occurred near the small city of Moloko, in northern Cameroon, where Power, her aides and accompanying journalists were headed to meet refugees and others displaced by the years of brutal attacks across West Africa.

Power's motorcade was moving at a fast speeds, at times exceeding 60 mph, while villagers lined up along the sides of the road.

The 7-year-old boy darted onto the two-lane highway according to reports, leaving no time for the sixth car in Power's convoy to react.

The vehicle that hit the boy initially stopped, but was ordered by American security forces to continue traveling through the "unsecured area".

An ambulance in the US convoy attended to the boy who was rushed to a local hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.

"Obviously, we are all grieving with the family of that young boy who was killed by the vehicle in the convoy," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

"And, as I think you saw reported, Ambassador Power - who certainly is feeling this very deeply - visited with the family today and expressed her deep regrets over what happened."

"I don't have any update in terms of next steps here but we all share in the grief and sorrow that resulted from this tragic, just a terrible, terrible accident," Kirby added.

It was not clear whether the US government will pay compensation to the boy's family.

Boko Haram is a deadly guerrilla movement that emerged out of previous Islamist insurgencies in northeast Nigeria in 2009 and won global notoriety in April 2014 when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls.

Nigeria and its neighbors Cameroon, Chad and Niger began a concerted fight against Boko Haram in January last year with support from several foreign powers, including the United States.

The insurgency has killed an estimated 20,000 people and forced some 2.6 million to flee their homes.


Agencies contributed to this report