After a decade-long presence, the United Nations (UN) mission in Mali concluded its operations on Monday as confirmed by its spokesperson. The withdrawal was mandated by Mali’s military leadership.
Fatoumata Kaba, the spokesperson, informed media that the mission, known as MINUSMA, officially ended its tenure by lowering the UN flag at its headquarters in Bamako, the capital.
This symbolic ceremony signifies the conclusive termination of the mission. A “liquidation phase” is scheduled post-January 1, involving activities such as transferring remaining equipment to local authorities.
The departure of MINUSMA has raised concerns about heightened conflict between military forces and armed groups vying for territorial dominance.
For ten years, MINUSMA maintained a presence of approximately 15,000 soldiers and police in Mali. Tragically, around 180 members lost their lives in hostile actions during this period.
According to the UN mission, as of the preceding Friday, over 10,500 uniformed and civilian MINUSMA personnel had departed Mali, out of the approximately 13,800 staff present at the withdrawal’s commencement. The information was shared by the UN mission on its platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
