The future of the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) seems more uncertain than ever. Last Friday, 29 April, hundreds of people gathered during a rally at the Palace of Culture in Bamako to demand the departure of the UN mission from Mali. “We’re done with MINUSMA”, “MINUSMA out”, “liberate our country” were the slogans of the demonstrators. For them, the UN mission is above all dubious.
There are calls for the departure of MINUSMA, as many Malians believe that this UN force specializes in manipulation, division, discourtesy and serious human rights accusations.
Present in Mali since 2013, MINUSMA currently has 12,237 militaries and 15,98 police deployed on the ground. Its mandate is limited to supporting the Malian authorities in securing the population and does not include the fight against terrorism.
During these years, the UN mission seems ineffective for the majority of Malians (especially in the center). Indeed, the UN forces have never really supported the Malian army in the fight against terrorist groups. As the population explains, in the fact that the peacekeepers often stay away when civilians need protection from terrorist attacks.
From the point of view of the transitional government, the role of MINUSMA should be reviewed because so far, the mission has not made a significant contribution to the stabilization of the security situation in the country. Especially since the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) have been gaining strength for months. This rise is reflected in successive results against armed terrorist groups.
It should be noted that on 29 June, the UN Security Council will decide whether to extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission.
