Mali's Minister of Foreign Affairs requested the prompt withdrawal of the peacekeeping forces from the country.
Mali's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop, has made a strong demand for the immediate withdrawal of peacekeeping forces from the country. Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, Diop expressed his dissatisfaction with the UN Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), stating that the peacekeeping mission had failed to effectively secure the situation in the country.
Diop claims that the presence of MINUSMA has created a sense of insecurity and mistrust among the population, rather than providing the expected peace and stability. He argued that the actions of the peacekeeping forces had ignited societal tensions.
“It appears that MINUSMA itself has become part of the problem, fueling societal tensions and greatly damaging peace, reconciliation and national unity in Mali," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York” he stated.
During the Security Council meeting, Diop emphasized the government's readiness to engage in negotiations with the UN. However, he firmly rejected any proposals by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to change the mandate of the mission. The Minister of Foreign Affairs appears to believe that the withdrawal of peacekeeping forces is the best course of action to address the current challenges in Mali.
Responding to Diop's remarks, El-Ghassim Wane, the Special Representative and Head of MINUSMA, acknowledged that it was “almost impossible” to continue the mission in a country where the government is disaffected.
The UN has called for an investigation into Wagner's actions in Mali
Representatives of the UN have repeatedly determined that the security and human rights situation in Mali has worsened recently. In January, UN human rights experts called for an independent investigation into the activities of the private military company "Wagner" and the Malian government forces, including the possible massacre of civilians. The statement said that since 2021, experts have been receiving disturbing reports of executions, torture, mass graves, rape, illegal detention, and kidnappings from Mali.
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