Due to the worsening security situation in the northern city of Ber, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali has accelerated its departure.
The mission, known as Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, announced on Sunday that it had to leave urgently because of the increased violence.
“MINUSMA has brought forward its withdrawal from Ber due to the degradation of security in the area and the high risks that bring for our Blue Helmets,” the force said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Coordination of Azawad Movements, CMA, a rebel alliance led by the Tuareg people in northern Mali, said Malian forces and Russian Wagner Group soldiers had broken a ceasefire by attacking its fighters near Ber.
The Malian army did not respond to the CMA’s claims but said “armed terrorist groups” had killed six of its soldiers in the town.
A CMA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, said clashes between the rebels and the Malian troops continued on Sunday.
Since 2012, Mali and its neighboring regions have been suffering from a complex and multifaceted conflict that has multiple causes and dimensions.
The conflict stems from the historical, political, economic, and social problems that the Malian people face, especially the excluded and vulnerable groups in the north and the center of the country.
The conflict was ignited by a military coup in 2012, which removed President Amadou Toumani Touré and left a power gap that was filled by various armed actors, such as Tuareg separatists, Islamist extremists, and local militias.
The coup also caused a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced, hungry, and in need of protection and assistance.
The international community has been trying to solve the Mali conflict and restore peace and stability in the country.
The most significant intervention is the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
The mission was established by the Security Council resolution 2100 of 25 April 2013 to support the political and security processes in Mali, protect civilians, promote human rights, and facilitate humanitarian access.
MINUSMA is the biggest, most costly, and most dangerous peacekeeping operation in the world, with more than 15,000 personnel and over 300 fatalities.
Other actors include the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), France, the European Union (EU), and the United States.
However, these efforts have not been able to resolve the Mali conflict and it has gotten worse over time.
The 2015 peace agreement between the Malian government and some rebel groups has not been fully implemented and has not addressed the root causes of the conflict.
The UN Security Council, on 30 June 2023, unanimously decided to end the MINUSMA peacekeeping operation in Mali by 1 January 2024.
The Council also gave the authority to the transitional government of Mali, which had been ruling since a coup in 2021, to take over the security duties.
The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, praised the peacekeeping operation and its staff for their service and sacrifice, and asked for the full cooperation of the transitional government for a smooth and safe withdrawal of the mission’s personnel and assets.
He also encouraged all the parties that signed the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali to keep respecting the ceasefire as MINUSMA withdraws.
The security situation has worsened, with frequent attacks by Islamist extremists and inter-communal violence spreading from the north to the center and south of the country.
The political situation has also been unstable, with two coups in 2020 and 2021 that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and his successor Bah N’Daw.
The transitional government that is currently in power has promised to hold democratic elections by March 2024, but faces many challenges and uncertainties.
The Mali conflict has taken a heavy toll on human lives, as the West African country and its neighboring regions have been suffering from the ongoing violence.
Human Rights Watch reports that the deaths from attacks in Mali and neighboring countries have risen by 500% since 2016, with more than 4,000 fatalities recorded in 2019 alone.
The border areas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are the most dangerous, where armed groups loyal to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Greater Sahara have increased their presence and capabilities.
They have slaughtered many civilians, as well as hundreds of government security force members and dozens of United Nations peacekeepers.
They have also taken many people hostage, including local officials, aid workers, journalists, and missionaries.
Some of them have been killed while in captivity.
The Malian security forces have also committed serious human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and arbitrary arrests of suspected militants or collaborators.
These abuses have increased the anger and distrust among the local population, and have weakened the legitimacy and effectiveness of the counter-terrorism operations.
The security forces have also been blamed for failing to protect civilians from attacks by armed groups or inter-communal violence.