Mali: UN Force Speeds Up Withdrawal Over Insecurity

Facts

• On Sunday, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) announced that it had sped up a planned withdrawal from a base in the country’s north citing a declining security situation.¹
• MINUSMA brought forward its departure from the town of Ber, as recent armed clashes in the region posed a significant risk to its troops. During the pullout, the convoy was reportedly attacked twice and three UN soldiers were wounded.²
• The Malian army claimed to have taken possession of the UN camp following this evacuation, reporting that six soldiers were killed and four injured as its troops were allegedly attacked on Friday by armed groups on their way to Ber.³
• Meanwhile, the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance of Tuareg-dominated groups seeking autonomy or independence from Mali, stated that its forces were repealing an offensive by the military.⁴
• In recent days, fighting has intensified between Malian troops backed by Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group and the CMA, which on Sunday urged MINUSMA not to hand Ber over to the army but to 'simply leave' the area.⁵
• In June, the UN Security Council unanimously authorized the withdrawal of all MINUSMA troops deployed to Mali in 2013 and the handover of security responsibility to the Malian military, which took power in 2021. The pullout is scheduled to be completed by Jan. 1, 2024.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Dw.com, ³Africanews, ⁴Voa, ⁵France 24 and ⁶Un news.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Newsweek. MINUSMA's exit at the urging of the Malian junta is the second major withdrawal of foreign troops from Mali in recent years, following the junta's call last year for France to cease its counterterrorism operations. While MINUSMA also supported peace efforts with the Tuareg-led CMA, Bamako now relies on the Wagner Group, which the US classifies as a transnational criminal organization. Bamako's ill-considered decisions will worsen the security and humanitarian situation in Mali and further destabilize the country.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Presstv. In ten years, MINUSMA has failed to stabilize Mali — which suffers from the presence of jihadist groups and separatist forces — resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and over 170 peacekeepers. Along with the UN, the interim government has also called on France to leave Mali, since Paris is playing a double game in its former colony by backing terrorists to justify its 'counterterrorism campaign.' Bamako remains willing to work with all partners to stabilize the country, but it must be a partnership that respects Mali's sovereignty, as is the case with Russia.
• Narrative C, as provided by Dailynewsegypt. As tensions mount between Bamako and Tuareg separatists, and military rulers demanded the UN's withdrawal, they recently released Islamic State leaders, hoping to reintegrate the Islamists into the country's social and political fabric. In truth, this is merely a sign of Bamako's weakness and a major propaganda success for the Islamists. Add to this the obvious failure of the UN and France to fight the extremists, and the country's future looks bleak.

Predictions