UN peacekeepers continue to leave Mali due to security concerns

The organisation argues that the escalating tensions in the country’s north put hundreds of workers’ lives in peril.

In response to a “rapidly deteriorating security situation,” the UN has began removing peacekeeping personnel from camps in Mali’s northern Kidal province.

According to a statement from MINUSMA, the Kidal camp will be followed by the bases in Tessalit and Aguelhok as forces leave the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission (MINUSMA).

“Despite the rapidly deteriorating security situation and the elevated risk to the lives of hundreds of troops, the mission is making every effort to finish this procedure as soon as possible. This is getting harder and harder,” it warned.

Additionally, according to MINUSMA, during the evacuation of Tessalit, personnel had to “seek shelter in bunkers due to an exchange of fire.”

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The Malian Armed Forces (FaMa) acknowledged in a second statement on Monday that during the aircraft’s landing at Tessalit airport, “heavy weapons fire from terrorist groups” had been directed at it as it was coordinating the UN disengagement.

After the “enemies” were taken out, the plane was able to land and take off without incident, according to FaMa, who also stated that “all arrangements have been made to continue the process of occupation of MINUSMA rights of way.”

In response to the Malian government’s request for an immediate end to the mission, which was started in 2013 to combat Islamist insurgencies in the nation, the UN Security Council decided in June to complete the withdrawal of MINUSMA personnel by the end of the year.

However, its removal has increased hostilities between the military government of Mali and the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a union of ethnically Tuareg factions fighting for independence.

Announcing that it had accelerated the evacuation of its site in the northern town of Ber in August, the UN cited deteriorating security situations as posing a “high risk” to its blue helmet personnel stationed there. The UN mission reported that two attacks on its convoy leaving Ber resulted in the injuries of three peacekeepers. At that time, FaMa additionally announced that seven of its men had perished in combat with the CMA group.

Concerned about the rising tensions, MINUSMA warned on Monday that the mission would have to leave “without being able to repatriate equipment belonging to troop-contributing countries and the UN.”