Mali Asks UN Peacekeepers To Leave

Mali’s foreign minister has called on the UN to withdraw its peacekeeping force from his country without delay.

Abdoulaye Diop while addressing the UN Security Council, accused the force, MINUSMA, of having “become a part of the problem in fuelling intercommunal tensions.”

He said, “MINUSMA has more than 13,000 troops, its decade-old mission has failed to stop the spread of jihadist violence.”

Meanwhile, Russian Wagner mercenaries are now assisting Mali’s military rulers.

Western officials have accused Wagner of human rights abuses in Ukraine and parts of Africa, and last month the US announced sanctions on Ivan Maslov, whom it described as Wagner’s top official in Mali.

However, Wagner has not commented on the Western allegations, and its activities in Mali and other parts of Africa remain shrouded in secrecy.

Minister Diop’s criticism of MINUSMA followed earlier Malian objections to France’s long-standing involvement in Mali.

The alliance with France, the former colonial power, collapsed last year.

Mr. Diop spoke of a “crisis of confidence between the Malian authorities and MINUSMA” and said, “The Malian government asks for the withdrawal without delay of MINUSMA.”

MINUSMA’S mandate is due to end on June 29, but UN chief Antonio Guterres has recommended that the mission be reconfigured to focus on a few limited priorities.

When asked about Mr. Diop’s remarks on Friday the UN special envoy to Mali, El-Ghassim Wane, said “We stand to be guided by whatever decision the Security Council may take”.

He added that without the host country’s consent “operating in a specific country would be extremely challenging, if not impossible.”

The UN currently lists military contingents from Chad, Bangladesh, and Egypt as the biggest in the force.

BBC/Christopher Ojilere