At least four UN peacekeeping soldiers have been involved in raping a woman in Mali, a report says.

The peacekeepers are among 1,500 Chadian forces serving MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali), the state-funded BBC reported on Wednesday.

The United Nations has called on Chad to launch an investigation into the matter and take action against the perpetrators.

The assault reportedly took place in the northern city of Gao on September 19, forcing the victim to seek help from the UN immediately.

The woman has identified four soldiers although it is not yet known exactly how many were involved in the assault.

A MINUSMA spokesman said in the Malian capital Bamako that the Chadian government should decide about what sort of disciplinary action they should take against the men.

He added that the victim would be provided with medical, psychological, and legal support, but would not receive any financial compensation.

There are 6,000 African troops serving under the 12,000-strong peacekeeping mission, which was founded in April by the UN Security Council.

At the time of the incident, 165 Chadian soldiers were reportedly stationed in Gao.

France launched a war in Mali on January 11, 2013 under the pretext of halting the advance of rebel fighters in the country.

On February 1, Amnesty International said “serious human rights breaches” -- including the killing of children -- were occurring in the French war in Mali.

Chaos broke out in the West African country after Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a military coup on March 22, 2012. The coup leaders said they mounted the coup in response to the government's inability to contain the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country, which had been going on for two months.

However, in the wake of the coup d’état, the Tuareg rebels took control of the entire northern desert region, but the Ansar Dine extremists then pushed them aside and took control of the region, which is larger than France or Texas.