Thirteen of the fifteen members of the Security Council voted to extend Minusma’s mandate. China and Russia abstained. The mission consists of a force of nearly 14,000 peacekeepers, civilians who provide humanitarian aid and help build democracy in the country, and police officers who train their Malian colleagues.
However, relations between the UN and the Malian government have been tense since the military took power in the country in 2020. Parts of the airspace are closed to the UN mission and the regime is preventing Minusma from investigating reports of human rights violations. The government also brought in the Russian mercenary company Wagner Group to train the Malian army.
France is currently withdrawing its troops from Mali due to opposition from the military regime. As a result, Minusma will be short of a lot of combat power from September. The French have been active in the country since 2013. The Netherlands supported Minusma until May this year with a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and about 90 soldiers. From mid-2014 to early 2017, four Dutch Apache attack helicopters were active in Mali.
Meanwhile, the number of violent incidents is rising in Mali. In the first three months of this year, more than 500 civilians have been killed in attacks by jihadist groups and the army. This is a significant increase in violence compared to the previous quarter.
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