Faith Nyasuguta
The United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in Mali has hastened its withdrawal from the city of Ber in the north following a surge in fighting.
The UN mission dubbed MINUSMA, said in a statement over the weekend that “deteriorating security” had made its departure urgent.
“MINUSMA has brought forward its withdrawal from Ber due to the degradation of security in the area and the high risks that brings for our Blue Helmets,” the force said on the X platform, formerly twitter.
“It urges all concerned parties to refrain from any actions that could further complicate the operation.”
According to a senior local security official, the UN mission left “without incident”.
In recent days, the Tuareg-led northern rebel alliance, called the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), accused Malian forces and Russian Wagner Group troops of violating a ceasefire by attacking its forces near Ber.
Mali’s army is yet to address the CMA’s accusations, but revealed that six of its soldiers stationed in the town were killed by “armed terrorist groups”.
Fighting continued over the weekend between the rebels and Mali’s troops, according to CMA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane.
IMPROMPTU DEPARTURE
The uptick in violence has sparked concerns over the revival of a separatist uprising in a country mired in unrest since 2012.
CMA seeks independence from the Malian state and controls most areas of the north.
MINUSMA’s departure, therefore, came as an unexpected demand by Mali back in June, as the force had been there for the last decade.
Their presence helped thwart a Tuareg-led rebel separatist uprising through the signing of the 2015 Algiers Accord.
MINUSMA had about 11,600 troops and 1,500 police officers in the country.
In 2012, armed groups hijacked the Tuareg’s uprising, their insurgency eventually spreading to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands and evolving into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The nation’s instability as a result helped Mali’s military government seize power in coups in 2020 and 2021. The military rulers are also accused of “grave human rights abuses”, according to the UN.
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