By Chris Muhizi for MCN.
After Mali’s military junta abruptly requested two weeks ago that the 13,000-strong force depart “without delay,” the United Nations Security Council decided on Friday to end a decade-long peacekeeping deployment there.
Since Mali joined forces with Russia’s Wagner mercenary squad in 2021, peacekeeping air and ground operations have been hampered by tensions and political limitations, which have led to the collapse of the operation known as MINUSMA.
The mission was asked to start “the cessation of its operations, transfer of its tasks, as well as the orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal of its personnel, with the objective of completing this process by December 31, 2023,” according to a resolution issued by the 15-member council that was written in French.
The White House claimed to have information indicating Mali’s government had paid Wagner more than $200 million since late 2021, and while the Security Council voted, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, was accused of assisting arrange the evacuation of U.N. forces from Mali.
According to White House national security spokesman John Kirby, “what isn’t as widely known is that Prigozhin helped engineer that departure to further Wagner’s interests.” The United Nations secretary-general was informed that Mali had revoked its consent for the MINUSMA deployment by top Malian officials working closely with Prigozhin staff, according to what is known.
The Security Council was informed by Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, that Mali had made a “sovereign decision.”
She stated, “We would like to reaffirm our support for Bamako in its aspiration to assume full responsibility and play a leading role in the stabilization of the Malian state. “Russia will continue to offer Mali comprehensive support for reestablishing normalcy in that nation on a bilateral basis.”
Up until September 30, MINUSMA is permitted by the Security Council decision to respond to impending threats of violence against civilians “within its immediate vicinity” and to assist in the safe, civilian-led distribution of humanitarian aid.
It requests that Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, collaborate with the Malian government to create a strategy for handing off MINUSMA’s responsibilities and deliver it to the Security Council by August 15. Mali is urged to work closely with the UN throughout MINUSMA’s exit.
Abdoulaye Diop, the foreign minister of Mali, said earlier this month that there was a “crisis of confidence” between the Malian government and MINUSMA when he asked for MINUSMA’s departure from the country.
MINUSMA is also permitted to conduct operations to remove U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers in danger, facilitate medical evacuations, and provide protection for U.N. people, facilities, convoys, installations, equipment, and associated personnel until December 31.
