The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali has officially concluded its 10-year deployment in the country, as ordered by Mali’s military government. The mission, known as the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), held a symbolic ceremony where the UN flag was lowered at its headquarters in Bamako, according to spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba. Although some elements of the mission remain, a “liquidation phase” will commence in January, involving the handover of any remaining equipment to the authorities.
The withdrawal of MINUSMA troops has raised concerns about increased fighting between Malian forces and armed groups for territorial control. Over the past decade, the mission had maintained approximately 15,000 soldiers and police in Mali, with 180 members losing their lives in hostile acts. As of Friday, more than 10,500 MINUSMA personnel have left Mali, out of a total of around 13,800 staff at the start of the withdrawal. The mission has already vacated 13 positions in Mali and is yet to close sites in Gao and Timbuktu in the north. The recent handover of the Mopti camp in central Mali, a longstanding hotspot of violence in the Sahel region, was carried out smoothly.
