The Termination of Peacekeeping Mission to Mali and Human Rights Concerns

There are deep concerns regarding the transitional government’s decision to abandon Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) as serious harm may be brought to the Malian people.

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on the termination of a decade-old peacekeeping mission to Mali after the UN mission was called a failure by Malian Foreign Minister.

This is while several Council members, including the United Kingdom’s Ambassador, cautioned that the withdrawal is occurring at a time of fragility in the Sahel region. Media reports have depicted a grim security landscape, according to the UN.

There are deep concerns regarding the transitional government’s decision to abandon Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) as serious harm may be brought to the Malian people.

UN peacekeepers have played a vital role in protecting civilians against an armed rebellion killing thousands. Some experts express their concerns about the security situation, which could worsen when the mission departs, leaving Mali’s under-resourced army alone with about 1000 Wagner fighters to combat fighters who control swaths of territory in the desert north and center.

Over the past decade, Mali and the Sahel region have seen a surge in clashes and attacks by armed groups and terrorist affiliates. However, Mali’s Ambassador has emphasized that Mali will continue to work tirelessly to protect civilians over all its territory.

MINUSMA’s mandate was, among other tasks, to document and investigate allegations of serious human rights violations, as well as to protect civilians from the risk of attack.

UN peacekeepers played an important role in protecting civilians against armed rebellion, but relations between Mali and the United Nations have deteriorated sharply since the 2020 coup that brought a regime to power military.