Bamako, August 4, 2023 - The last Senegalese troops stationed at the MINUSMA Temporary Operating Base (TOB) in Ogossagou, Bandiagara region, central Mali, left today, following the formal handover of the base to the Malian authorities the day before. This event marks a significant step towards the withdrawal of MINUSMA from Mali, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2690, adopted on 30 June, at the request of the Malian authorities.
The convoy of nearly 150 Senegalese peacekeepers, who will be repatriated in the coming weeks following the closure of the TOB, left Ogossagou at 5 a.m. this morning and arrived safely in Mopti at 10:30 p.m. In February 2022, an IED attack on this road killed three peacekeepers.
The withdrawal was carried out in close coordination with the military command of the Malian Armed Forces in Mopti and with their support.
The closure of the Ogossagou TOB is part of the first phase of the Mission's withdrawal plan. Two other peripheral camps - Ber and Goundam in the Tombouctou region - and Menaka in northeastern Mali will be closed by the end of August 2023. At the same time, MINUSMA has already downsized its forces in Mali, with 675 military personnel having permanently left the country since first of July.
The Ogossagou TOB was established in March 2020, in response to intercommunal clashes that resulted in the killing of scores of civilians and the displacement of several others, tearing apart the social fabric. The peacekeepers' presence and subsequent work by the Mission civilian component and the Government-led Équipes régionales d'appui à la réconciliation(ERAR) helped reduce the violence and paved the way for the signing of a peace agreement on October 8, 2021, by representatives of 12 Dogon and Fulani villages in the Bankassand Dimbal circles.
The agreement marked a major step forward in the peacebuilding process in Ogossagou. To consolidate the agreement, MINUSMA assisted the Malian authorities in re-establishing local dispute resolution mechanisms and continued to support the communities in Ogossagou in strengthening social cohesion and in improving their livelihoods, through the implementation of quick impact projects. Significant results have been achieved in this context, including exchanges of visits between communities, the return of stolen cattle, co-management of agricultural and pastoral lands, the creation of conducive conditions for women to collect firewood further away and the provision of assistance to local populations, including health services provided by the military personnel deployed at the TOB.
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"MINUSMA's civilian components in Mopti, together with the Senegalese battalion, have done much to ensure that communities not only reconcile but also help rekindle the culture of peace that existed between them before the tragic events of 2019 and 2020," said El-Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of MINUSMA. "Their presence and commitment have made it possible to provide significant support to local communities, including access to healthcare, psychosocial support and, above all, security and protection."
In addition to protecting communities from further attacks, the presence of the peacekeepers has also extended the mission's reach in terms of civilian protection beyond Ogossagou. The Senegalese contingent has carried out hundreds of patrols and missions in the area over the past three years. These actions have facilitated dialogue and reconciliation initiatives in the Bankassarea, including inter-community peace agreements between the localities of Tori and Sokoura, and in the Kologon area. Stabilization patrols and initiatives in Kani Bozon, Kologon, including Koro, Madougou and Dioungani in the Koro cercle, have also improved security. The same applies to patrols carried out along the RN-15, in coordination with the Malian Defense and Security Forces, which have helped secure bridges and infrastructure along this crucial economic corridor via Bandiagara and Sévaré.
