The new attack took place on the mission’s temporary base in the city of Timbuktu, while the mission confirmed that it would continue to carry out its tasks in close cooperation with the Malians.
Fingers are pointed at the “Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimeen” group, which is loyal to al-Qaeda, in launching the attack, which was preceded by an attack it launched on the road linking the cities of Timbuktu and Bir.
On Wednesday, a financial official in the mission was killed, and two financial contractors were seriously injured in a mine explosion.
The mission said on its Twitter account that the official “lost his life when his motorcycle hit an explosive device” in Kidal, northern Mali.
History of “Minusma”
• The Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), is a United Nations peacekeeping force, formed in 2013 by a decision of the UN Security Council.
• Aims for financial support in achieving stability and implementing the transitional roadmap.
• 10 countries contribute more than 17 thousand soldiers.
• Most missions in the world that are subjected to terrorist attacks, claiming the lives of dozens of its soldiers and officials.
withdrawal crisis
It is not only terrorism that threatens MINUSMA, but it also faces increased burdens after successive withdrawals of several countries from its forces, and the suspension of other activities, including:
• Britain, Cote d’Ivoire, Germany and Sweden announced their withdrawal.
• Egypt, the third largest contributor to the “MINUSMA” forces, with just over a thousand soldiers, suspended the activities of its units, according to the data of the United Nations website, after the killing of two Egyptian soldiers in the detonation of an explosive device last July.
• Between the Cairo, London, Abidjan and Berlin declarations, more than 20 military units, out of a total of 114 military units, have suspended operations, or plan to do so in the short term.
• No alternative has been announced for the withdrawing countries, and the United Nations is in discussions with several countries to bridge the gaps.
• In addition to reducing the number, one of the features of the crisis of withdrawals is that the German soldiers, for example, used to run the military hospital in Gao, in northern Mali, and their possible departure raises the fear of a “domino” effect among the European teams by increasing withdrawals.
Regarding the reasons for targeting the “Minusma” group, “Nasrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin”, a political science professor at the University of Bamako, Mohamed Ag Ismail, says that the group has a project to control the government, like the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
Ag Ismail added to “Sky News Arabia”: “The group considers the expulsion of peacekeepers a necessity to achieve this goal, especially since the mission’s forces are deployed in major cities in the north, which deters terrorists from entering.”
He continued, “Weakening the army and police forces is also a goal of the Al-Nusra Group, and this weakening will increase if the UN forces that provide them with support leave.”
future attacks
After the withdrawal of French forces from Mali last August, following strained relations with the ruling military council, the “Al-Nusra” group and the “ISIS” terrorist organization took advantage of the vacuum it left behind and increased its attacks on the army, as well as on the fighters of the Russian “Wagner” group, which Bamako sought help to compensate for the departure. French.
The frequency of attacks in central Mali increased by 45 percent between May and August, compared to the first four months of 2022, and more than 500 civilians were killed during the year.
Ag Ismail expects the group to escalate its attacks further after the withdrawal of units from MINUSMA or the suspension of their work.
A study by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs stated that evidence points to an imminent crisis in Mali, and “if the situation breaks out, this will affect neighboring West African countries, which are areas of influence for European countries.”
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