NEW YORK: Mali’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has called for the UNSC to withdraw the peacekeeping mission in his nation “without delay,” disapproving its “failure” to respond to challenges of security, Western media reported on Friday.
Mali Government Calls for End of UN Mission
Mali’s army rulers have increasingly executed operational boundaries on peacekeepers and also broke the country’s longstanding alliance with ex-colonial power France.
“The government of the African country calls for the withdrawal without delay of peacekeeping mission,” said Abdoulaye Diop.
“However, the government of Mali is willing to cooperate with the UN on this matter,” Diop said, dismissing all options for changing the mandate of the peacekeeping mission as suggested by the UN chief.
“Minusma seems to have become component of the issue by fueling community tensions aggravated by extremely very serious accusations which are highly harmful to peace, national cohesion and reconciliation in Mali,” the minister said.
“This situation creates a feeling of mistrust among the people with regard to Minusma,” he maintained, noting a recent critical report by the UN.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in January put forward 3 options for amending the mission, from an increase in troops to a withdrawal of personnel.
In a report released at the beginning of the current week, the UN chief recommended to the UNSC an intermediate solution, to “reconfigure” the peacekeeping mission to concentrate on a limited number of priorities.
However, following the UNSC meeting, Minusma’s chief told reporters that carrying out UN peacekeeping operations was “impossible” without the consent of the host nation.
“It is a decision that the UNSC has to make,” El Ghassim Wane said.
