The withdrawal of nearly 13,000 troops from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is an “unprecedented” move, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underlined.
In a 13-page letter distributed to members of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Guterres said the “timing, scope and complexity of the mission’s withdrawal are unprecedented.”
“The vast terrain of the landlocked country, the hostile operating environment in some regions and its climate make it extremely difficult to return the mission within a six-month period,” the Portuguese admitted.
The document was circulated at a meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to progressing the Malian government’s required withdrawal of MINUSMA.
Guterres said the logistics of moving troops and equipment was further limited by the presence of “armed terrorist groups” and the recent seizure of power by a military junta in neighboring Niger.
The head of the mission, El-Qassem Vane, told the meeting that the withdrawal was “significant progress” and “on the right track”, but acknowledged that the second phase would be “very difficult” due to the same factors mentioned. By Guterres.
For example, Van described the experience of closing down Camp Ber, where it took 51 hours for the last ‘blue helmets’, equipment and supplies to travel 57 kilometers to reach the city of Timbuktu.
“This was due to the nature of the terrain, which is unfavorable – made worse by the rainy season – and insecurity. The convoy was attacked twice by unidentified militants, injuring four ‘blue helmets’ and damaging three vehicles. “, he said.
Since 2012, Mali has been facing a deep security crisis, which started in the north and spread into the center of the country and into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Minusma, which has been in the African country for 10 years, began shedding its posts in June after Mali’s junta-led interim government called for an “immediate” withdrawal, which was later approved by the Security Council. UN
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