Arrr! United Nations be puttin' an end to the Mali peacekeepin' mission, after a whole decade, me mateys!
2023-12-11
Arrr! The United Nations be settin' sail from Mali, mateys! The landlubber military government o' West Africa be sendin' their request, and so the peacekeepin' mission comes to an end. Avast ye, me hearties!
The United Nations has ended its 10-year peacekeeping mission in Mali, following the government's request claiming that the force was inadequate to respond to the growing violent extremism in the country. The commander of the 13,000-strong force, Maj. Gen. Mamadou Gaye, acknowledged the challenging terrain in Mali during the closing ceremony in the capital, Bamako.Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Although extremist rebels were initially forced out of power in northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, they regrouped in the desert and continued launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies, including the U.N. force.
In June, Mali's junta asked the U.N. mission to leave, claiming that the force did not respond to the country's security needs. The French force left last year under pressure from the junta. Despite the request for the U.N. mission to leave, the commander expressed confidence in Mali's security forces to handle the security crisis.
However, many in Mali believe that the peacekeeping force has not brought stability, particularly in the north where rebels are fighting to expand their territories. This situation highlights growing concerns that U.N. peacekeeping operations are becoming unwelcome in parts of Africa. Last month, Congo also requested the withdrawal of the U.N. mission trying to contain violence in the country's east.
Last week, the U.N.'s top peacekeeping official defended the organization's missions worldwide but acknowledged limited funds to finance operations. Although the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali has come to an end, the situation in the country remains volatile, with ongoing challenges in addressing the extremist insurgency and achieving lasting stability.