A few days back, the West African nation of Mali had called on the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping mission from the country “without delay,” denouncing its “failure” to respond to security challenges. The country’s military rulers have increasingly imposed operational restrictions on peacekeepers and they have also broke Mali’s longstanding alliance with former colonial power France. So… what would the withdrawal of UN forces mean for Mali? Would it revive separatist feelings..or would it actually be of any help on the ground? Mali’s demand may bring a sudden end to a decade-long mission that has struggled to protect civilians and its own troop… raising fears the country could slide deeper into chaos amid an Islamist insurgency and the possible revival of a separatist uprising. The UN mission, known as MINUSMA, has been hobbled by restrictions on its air and ground operations since Mali’s ruling junta joined forces with Russian military contractor Wagner Group in 2021… limiting its effectiveness against an Islamist insurgency that took root a decade ago and has since spread across West Africa.

#Minusmamali #UNforcesmali #Wagnergroupmali
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