THE United Nations mission in Mali, which was ordered to leave by the country’s ruling junta, will complete its full withdrawal by mid-November, according to a statement from the Malian government. The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has been wrapping up operations since January, following a December 2023 directive from the military-led government to conclude the decade-long mission.
Established in 2013, MINUSMA aimed to stabilise the volatile West African nation, deploying approximately 15,000 soldiers and police to manage security threats from militant violence. The mission, however, became strained amid escalating tensions between Mali’s junta and the UN, leading to its termination on December 31, 2023. Since then, MINUSMA has been in a ‘liquidation phase,’ focusing on transferring equipment and finalising operations.
In a recent statement, the Malian council of ministers confirmed that ‘the mission will end on November 15, 2024, with the handover of the Bamako camp and repatriation of all civilian international personnel, contingents, and equipment.’
The Malian junta, which seized power in a 2020 coup, has accused the UN mission of ‘fuelling community tensions.’ It has also distanced itself from former colonial power France, whose military forces had previously assisted Mali in battling northern insurgencies. Instead, the junta has shifted to new partnerships with Russia for political and military aid.
MINUSMA’s exit comes at a high cost, with more than 180 of its personnel killed during the mission, primarily in attacks attributed to Al-Qaeda and Daesh affiliates. As the mission ends, Mali’s security situation remains precarious, with questions over how the country’s military leadership will address ongoing threats from armed groups.
