While its peacekeeping operation in Mali, MINUSMA draws to a close by the end of this year, the UN remains committed to supporting the country鈥檚 stability and development, the head of the Mission said on Monday.
Briefing the听Security Council, El-Ghassim Wane, who is also the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, updated ambassadors on the Mission鈥檚 withdrawal process.
Vital work
鈥溙齧ay be leaving Mali, but the 51吃瓜, through its agencies, funds, and programs, remains. Their work has never been as vital as it is today,鈥� he said, welcoming assurances received from Malian authorities regarding security of UN personnel.
Mr. Wane called for additional funding for the UN Country Team and all humanitarians working there to enable them to continue supporting Mali鈥檚 development efforts.
MINUSMA was established by the Security Council in 2013, following a coup the previous year. Over the past decade, it has become the UN鈥檚 most challenging peacekeeping mission, suffering over 303 fatalities amid continuing extremist violence and rampant insecurity across much of the north and centre.
By December, the mission鈥檚 12 camps and one temporary operating base will be closed and handed over to transitional authorities, while its uniformed personnel numbering about 12,947 will be repatriated.
Civilian staff will also be drawn down, and equipment 鈥� a load of approximately 5,500 sea containers and nearly 4,000 vehicles - relocated to other missions or repatriated to the countries that provided them.
Making the transition
In an听听with听UN News听shortly before the briefing, Special Representative Wane said that though a lot remains to be done before the closure, the Mission is helping Malian actors prepare to take over once it has left the country.
鈥淎 lot remains to be done obviously. And the objective was to help them prepare as much as they can to take over...and continue the stabilisation efforts we have been supporting for the past ten years,鈥� he said, adding the UN was in Mali before MINUSMA was deployed and 鈥渨e will continue to offer support to the Malian people and government.鈥�
Mr. Wane also听听that the Mission is committed to ensuring the closest coordination possible so that its departure does not result in a void, that could make the country more unstable and civilians more vulnerable.
Fraught with challenges
The withdrawal process, outlined in Security Council resolution 2690, has been structured in two phases, with the first phase underway since July. This phase involved the closure of MINUSMA鈥檚 smaller outposts and camps located in remote regions.
In his briefing, Mr. Wane spoke of the progress thus far, which had been fraught with challenges.
He recounted the difficulties encountered during the closure of MINUSMA鈥檚 Ber camp, including an arduous 51-hour journey 鈥� to cover a mere 57 kilometres or 35 miles 鈥� to Timbuktu through difficult terrain, made worse by the rains and insecurity.
鈥淭he convoy was attacked twice by unidentified extremist elements, injuring four peacekeepers and damaging three vehicles,鈥� he said.
The second phase, scheduled to last until mid-December and focusing on the closure of six more bases, also presents logistical and security challenges.
These include covering distances of up to 563 kilometres 鈥� about 350 miles 鈥� and managing over 1,050 truckloads of equipment, while braving the threat of ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The political dimension
At the same time, the political dimension cannot be overlooked, Mr. Wane said, noting disagreements on the fate of vacated camps between Mali鈥檚 military and the Signatory Movements of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.
He highlighted the urgent need for common ground to avoid incidents that could hamper the withdrawal process and jeopardize the prospects for resuming the peace process.
Niger factor
The UN envoy also noted that the situation in Niger in the aftermath of the current military takeover also impacts MINUSMA鈥檚 withdrawal plan, given that routes to ports in Cotonou (Benin) and Lom茅 (Togo) cross Niger.
鈥淚t is crucial that we can transport equipment and materials across Niger to these ports for their subsequent repatriation to the concerned troop and police-contributing countries,鈥� he said.
