“The government of Mali demands the immediate withdrawal of Minusma,” said Abdoulaye Diop, referring to the UN force in Mali. The country’s military rulers have progressively restricted the operations of peacekeepers and severed Mali’s alliance with former colonial power France. “However, the government is willing to cooperate with the United Nations on this issue,” Diop said, rejecting all options for changing the mission’s mandate proposed by the UN secretary-general.
“Minusma appears to have become part of the problem by exacerbating community tensions, which are exacerbated by extremely serious allegations that are highly detrimental to Mali’s peace, reconciliation, and national cohesion,” the minister added.
“This situation breeds mistrust of Minusma among the populace,” he added, citing a recent damning report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on an anti-jihadist operation in Moura in March 2022. In January, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented three options for modifying the mission, ranging from an increase in personnel to a withdrawal of forces.
In a report released at the start of the week, he advised the Council to “reconfigure” the mission to focus on a limited number of priorities as an interim solution.
(NewsWires, AFP and The Review.Press)
