According to a spokeswoman, the United Nations mission in Mali formally concluded a ten-year commitment on Monday, following a departure mandated by the country’s military authorities.
According to its spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba, AFP, the mission, known as MINUSMA, lowered the UN flag on its headquarters in the capital city of Bamako.
Although certain aspects of the project remain, she stated that the symbolic event signifies the official conclusion of the operation.
A “liquidation phase” will take place after the withdrawal deadline of January 1, involving activities such as handing over remaining equipment to the authorities.
Mali’s ruling junta, which seized power in 2020, in June demanded the departure of the mission, despite being in the grip of jihadist violence and other crises.
The withdrawal of the UN stabilisation mission, in place since 2013, has ignited fears that fighting will intensify between troops and armed factions for territorial control.
For the previous ten years, MINUSMA has kept about 15,000 police and soldiers in Mali.
Approximately 180 members have died in hostile situations; these deaths are primarily attributed to armed groups associated with the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda.
The UN mission stated on X, the previous Twitter platform, that as of Friday, about 10,500 uniformed and civilian MINUSMA personnel have left Mali, out of the approximately 13,800 present at the beginning of the evacuation.
