End of UN Mission in Mali Will Impact Whole Region - Analysts

The United Nations Security Council has decided to withdraw approximately 13,000 MINUSMA peacekeepers at the explicit request of the Malian military government. The move will have an impact on Mali, the Sahel region, and the countries that deployed the soldiers, writes Antonio Cascais for Deutsche Welle.

Mali's relations with many of its most important partners had been deteriorating since the miltary coup of May 2021, which was led by then-transitional Vice President, Colonel Assimi Goita, and drew international criticism.

The Economic Community of West African States imposed sanctions on Bamako. Relations with France reached a low point. Paris had sent troops to Mali after the security crisis following the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, to help combat terrorism especially in the central and northern regions of the country, but soon was pressured by the new Malian leadership to withdraw its forces.

Given the increase in diplomatic tensions, the end of MINUSMA was only a matter of time, Cascais writes. The Malian government took to accusing the UN peacekeepers of failing their mission. MINUSMA, in turn, complained about a lack of support, and even accused the military junta of hindering peacekeeping operations.