UN peacekeeping mission in Mali officially ends after 10 years

The United Nations mission in Mali has officially ended a 10-year deployment in the country, its spokesperson said, in a pullout ordered by Mali’s military government.

The mission, known as the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), lowered the UN flag in its headquarters in the capital Bamako, its spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba said on December 11, Al Jazeera reports.

The symbolic ceremony marks the official end of the mission, she said, even though some of the elements of it are still there.

A “liquidation phase” will take place after January 1, involving activities such as handing over any remaining equipment to the authorities.

In June, Mali’s military government, which seized power in 2020, demanded the departure of the mission, deployed since 2013, despite being in the grip of attacks by armed groups in the Sahel region.

The withdrawal of MINUSMA troops has ignited fears that fighting will intensify between Malian forces and armed groups for territorial control.

The mission had maintained about 15,000 soldiers and police in Mali for the past decade. About 180 members have been killed in hostile acts.