The Malian government has asked the United Nations (UN) to withdraw its peacekeeping mission in the country.
Foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop said on Friday that the operation has “failed” to achieve its intended purpose, asking for its withdrawal from the nation “without delay”.
"The Government of Mali calls for the withdrawal without delay of MINUSUMA," said Diop. MINUSUMA is the name of the United Nations force in Mali.
"However, the government is willing to cooperate with the United Nations on this issue," Diop said, while rejecting the proposal by the UN to have MINUSUMA’s mandate in the country changed.
"MINUSUMA seems to have become part of the problem by fuelling community tensions exacerbated by extremely serious allegations which are highly detrimental to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion in Mali," said Diop.
'Distrust'
He added that the continued presence of the UN peacekeeping team in Mali has generated a “feeling of distrust among the populations”.
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSUMA) was established by the UN Security Council in April 2013 to stabilise the country following a rise in insurgency in 2012.
In June 2014, the Security Council resolved that the mission should focus on other duties such as protection of civilians, promotion of human rights, supporting reconciliation and assisting the re-establishment of State authority.
A total of 17,430 UN personnel, including 11,739 troops, have been deployed to Mali for peacekeeping.
Several countries, including France, the United Kingdom and the United States, are supporting MINUSUMA’s continued stay in Mali.
France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, said MINUSUMA’s mission in Mali was “for the stability of the whole region”.
