As part of MINUSMA's withdrawal process, its regional office in Mopti handed over to the civilian authorities on 22 November 2023, the MINUSMA regional office in Mopti handed over its annex bases of the Office des Produits Agricoles du Mali (OPAM) and the Office du Riz to the civilian authorities. The First Deputy Prefect of the Cercle de Mopti, Cheick Sidi Yaya Coulibaly, and the representative of MINUSMA Head of Office, Sector Commander J. M. Emdadul Islam, signed the site inspection certificates, the lists of remaining infrastructure and the environmental reports. These documents certify that the facilities and equipment handed over to the authorities are in good condition and that the environmental conditions are met. With the handover of these annexes, MINUSMA is transferring two high-capacity generators, water tanks and other equipment to the authorities.
This step marks the transfer of responsibility for these two annexes to the local authorities as a prelude to the final closure of the main Mopti camp, scheduled for early December. This action is in line with Resolution 2690, which authorized the withdrawal of Minusma at the request of the Malian authorities.
Cheick Sidi Yaya Coulibaly, First Deputy Prefect of Mopti Cercle, took the opportunity to express the local authorities' gratitude to MINUSMA for its cooperation. "It is a feeling of pride that we share today. On behalf of the regional authorities and the entire population, we thank MINUSMA for its ten years of cooperation, and through it, we thank the United Nations".