United Nations (EFE) renewal of his mandate.
The Malian Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, spoke before the Security Council and criticized that the Minusma has “become part of the problem” in Mali and that it has aroused “great mistrust” between the population and the Government, after of affirming that the situation in the country in 2023 is worse than that of ten years ago, which demonstrates the “failure” of the mission.
This request from Mali also occurs when the country is immersed in a political campaign to approve this Sunday in a referendum a new Constitution that gives legitimacy to the de facto military government, which came to power after a double coup in 2020 and 2021 and who has promised to hand over power to civilians in March 2024.
The fight against terrorism is primarily the responsibility of the Government
The Minusma is not only the UN mission that is most in danger -accumulates 192 deaths in terrorist attacks this decade-, but it is now in confrontation with the de facto government of Mali due to the constant restrictions on its movements and the limitations imposed on it. imposed to investigate alleged violations of human rights.
Minister Diop recalled that Minusma was deployed in the country to support the Malian authorities in stabilizing the country and guaranteeing peace and security, as well as preventing the return of armed groups, but that the fight against terrorism is the responsibility of the everything to the Government, and also said that the work of the mission in monitoring human rights suffers from instrumentalization and politicization.
On May 25, thousands of people demonstrated in the Malian capital, Bamako, to demand the withdrawal of the Minusma from the African country, which they described as an “occupation force”, the latest act in an increasingly political climate. hostile to the multinational force.
Wagner’s Russian Force
On June 30, the renewal of the mandate of the Minusma – which currently comprises 11,676 soldiers and 1,588 civilians – must be voted on, but now it seems unlikely that it will be renewed, especially when the ambassadors of Russia and China today stressed in the Council the need to take take into account the opinion and priorities of the Malian Government, as well as its willingness to redefine its relationship with the mission.
Precisely the distances taken by the Government of Mali with the UN coincides with the open deployment and recognized by that country of the Russian force of Wagner, which the Western governments consider an instrument of Russia.
And although he did not mention Wagner by name, Diop said, right after calling for the withdrawal of the Minusma, that Mali “remains willing to cooperate with other partners that respect our sovereignty, strategic options and vital interests”