© Reuters. Soldiers stand at attention, as the last contingent of German Army Bundeswehr soldiers return from their peacekeeping force known as MINUSMA (Multinational Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) in Wunstorf, Germany, December 15, 2023. REUTERS /Lisi N
(Reuters) – The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, is ready to complete its withdrawal from the country on Sunday, the U.N. said in a statement.
Security experts warn that the area could now become the focus of fighting in the north as rebel groups and the army seek to take over areas the UN has abandoned, further destabilizing Mali, where Islamist-linked militants also roam. to Al Qaeda and Islamic State.
Violence in Mali has increased since June, when the military junta that seized power in a coup in 2021 ordered the decade-old U.N. peacekeeping mission to leave.
The UN said only a small team will remain to oversee the transport of assets and the disposal of UN-owned equipment.
“UN funds, agencies and programs were in Mali long before MINUSMA's deployment and will remain in Mali long after the withdrawal,” said MINUSMA chief El-Ghassum Wane.
The peacekeeping mission in Mali was launched in 2013 following a violent insurrection by separatist rebels attempting to take control of the country's north and a subsequent military-led coup.
Mali has since become the epicenter of a violent movement that has spread across West Africa and forced millions of people to flee.
