Peacekeeping force in Mali after the Tuareg rebellion of 2012
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
|
Abbreviation
| MINUSMA
|
---|
Formation
| 25 April 2013
|
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Dissolved
| 30 June 2023
|
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Type
| Peacekeeping mission
|
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Legal status
| Dissolved
|
---|
Headquarters
| Bamako
, Mali
|
---|
Special Representative of the Secretary-general (SRSG) and Head of MINUSMA
| El-Ghassim Wane
[1]
|
---|
Parent organization
| United Nations Security Council
|
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Website
| Official website in English
|
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The
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
(
French
:
Mission multidimensionnelle integree des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali
,
MINUSMA
)
[2]
was a
United Nations
peacekeeping mission in
Mali
. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100
to stabilise the country after the
Tuareg rebellion of 2012
,
[3]
and was terminated over a decade later on 30 June 2023.
[4]
Officially deployed on 1 July 2013, MINUSMA was the UN's second-most dangerous peacekeeping mission after
Lebanon
, with 304 peacekeepers killed out of a force of about 15,200 as of May 2023.
[5]
During MINUSMA's existence, there were two further international peace operations in Mali. These were the
European Union
missions
EUCAP Sahel Mali
and
EUTM Mali
.
History
[
edit
]
In 2012,
Tuareg
and other peoples in northern Mali's
Azawad
region started an insurgency in the north under the banner of the
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
. After some initial successes and complaints from the
Malian Army
that it was ill-equipped to fight the insurgents, who had benefited from an influx of heavy weaponry from the
2011 Libyan civil war
as well as other sources, elements of the army
staged a military coup d'etat
on 21 March 2012.
[6]
Following the coup, the rebels made further advances to capture the three biggest cities in the north:
Gao
,
Timbuktu
and
Kidal
.
[7]
Following economic sanctions and a blockade by the
Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) on the country, a deal, brokered in
Burkina Faso
by President
Blaise Compaore
under the auspices of ECOWAS, was signed that would see
Amadou Sanogo
cede power to
Dioncounda Traore
to assume the presidency in an
interim
capacity until an election is held.
[8]
On 1 July 2013, 6,000 of a future total of 12,600 UN peacekeeping troops officially took over responsibility for patrolling the country's north from
France
and the
ECOWAS
'
International Support Mission to Mali
(AFISMA).
[9]
The group was expected to play a role in the
2013 Malian presidential election
.
[10]
The force was the third largest UN peacekeeping force in operation in the world as of 2013.
[11]
On 16 June 2023, the
Foreign Minister of Mali
requested that the United Nations terminate MINUSMA due to what he called its "failure" to stabilize the situation there.
[12]
The mission was officially terminated on 30 June 2023,
[4]
with all UN forces due to leave Mali by 31 December 2023.
[13]
Organisation and forces
[
edit
]
Its headquarters were in the Malian capital city,
Bamako
.
Military intelligence
was evaluated by the Force Headquarters U2-Intelligence Section.
[14]
The force was led by
Danish
Major General
Michael Lollesgaard
in 2015 and 2016,
Belgian
Major General
Jean-Paul Deconinck
until 2 October 2018, after which he was succeeded by Lieutenant General
Dennis Gyllensporre
of
Sweden
.
[15]
[16]
The force commander in November 2021 was
Dutch
Lieutenant-General Johannes Matthijssen.
[17]
As of 30 September 2021
[update]
, countries contributing with police and military personnel were:
[18]
[19]
Incidents
[
edit
]
In October 2013, a suicide bomber attacked the Chadian soldiers resulting in the death of two soldiers.
[20]
On 13 December, two Senegalese peacekeepers were killed at a bombing outside the
Malian Solidarity Bank
in
Kidal
a day before the second round of the
Malian parliamentary election, 2013
.
[21]
In October 2014, 10 soldiers were killed?nine from
Niger
and one from Senegal near Gao and Kidal, respectively?bringing the total number of dead soldiers from the mission to 21 with dozens more wounded. It also preceded Malian Foreign Minister
Abdoulaye Diop
calling for the
UNSC
to send a rapid deployment force to the country claiming that there was an increase in
drug traffickers
and
Islamist fighters
. U.N. Peacekeeping chief
Herve Ladsous
also spoke to the UNSC from
Bamako
, where he attend a memorial service for the dead soldiers. He added that a combination of factors has led to the increase in attacks on U.N. troops, including the drawdown of French forces and a perceived lack of Malian security forces, as such MINUSMA, being the main international presence in the area, was a target. He further noted that the UN was no longer working in a
peacekeeping
environment, but sought to increase protection of the mission's staff, equipment and bases.
[22]
On 20 January 2019 the MINUSMA base at
Aguelhok
was attacked by militants. The attack was repelled but 10 Chadian UN peacekeepers were killed and a further 25 injured.
[23]
[24]
The militants had arrived on board a number of armed vehicles. Several of the attackers are said to have been killed.
[25]
Responsibility was claimed by
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
who stated that it was a retaliatory attack for the recent visit to Chad by Israeli prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
and the subsequent revival of
Chad?Israel diplomatic relations
.
[25]
[26]
UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres
condemned the attack.
[27]
On 25 January 2019 three Sri Lankan peacekeepers were killed, while another three were injured, when their armoured vehicle came under an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack, in the general area of Douentza in Mali.
[28]
The
United Nations
reported that attacks in the northern
Mali
against a U.N. convoy killed three peacekeepers from Chad and injured four others. Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres
and UN spokesman
Stephane Dujarric
criticized the attacks, and said that they could account to
war crimes
as per the international law.
[29]
On 10 May 2020 three UN MINUSMA peacekeepers were killed in action near Aguelhok.
[30]
As of 31 March 2020, 209 MINUSMA troops died.
[5]
Twenty MINUSMA troops were wounded, some seriously, in attacks by rebels in
Douentza
, Mopti, on 10 February
2021
.
[31]
On 30 March 2021, MINUSMA published a report that concluded a French air strike on 3 January 2021 on the remote village of Bounti in Sahel state, killed at least 22 people, 19 of whom were civilians. The strike was carried out under Operation Eclipse ? a joint operation involving armed forces from
Mali
,
France
and the
G5 Sahel
. French military have denied wrongdoing saying the strike, by a Mirage 2000 bomber, had "neutralised" dozens of jihadists in a precision attack.
[32]
On 3 October 2021, one Egyptian peacekeeper was killed, four of his colleagues seriously injured, in an IED attack.
[33]
On 5 December 2021, two explosions hit MINUSMA barracks in
Gao
. The French army said there was only material damage and did not provide details about any possible origin of the blasts.
[34]
On 8 December 2021, seven MINUSMA peacekeepers were killed when their convoy hit an improvised explosive device in central Mali, in the
Bandiagara
area in the
Mopti
region when driving between the towns of
Douentza
and
Sevare
. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.
[35]
[36]
On 1 June 2022, a Jordanian member of the MINUSMA peacekeeping force was killed and three more injured in
Kidal Region
, Mali.
[37]
From 1 November to 4 November 2023, 37 peacekeepers were injured after six IED attacks on their convoy, which was departing them from
Kidal
.
[38]
[39]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Leadership"
.
MINUSMA
. 20 January 2015
. Retrieved
18 October
2021
.
- ^
"Mission multidimensionnelle integree des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA), French language webpage on UN website for the mission"
. United Nations. 25 April 2013.
Archived
from the original on 29 October 2013
. Retrieved
27 October
2013
.
- ^
"United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)"
. United Nations. 25 April 2013.
Archived
from the original on 12 July 2013
. Retrieved
3 July
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Lewis, David; McAllister, Edward.
"U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali set to end on June 30"
.
Reuters
.
Archived
from the original on 28 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 June
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"FATALITIES"
.
United Nations Peacekeeping
.
- ^
Look, Anne (25 March 2012).
"Uncertainty Reigns in Mali"
. Voice of America.
Archived
from the original on 25 April 2012
. Retrieved
1 July
2013
.
- ^
"Timbuktu bombarded as Mali constitution 'restored'
"
.
Hindustan Times
. 1 April 2012.
Archived
from the original on 20 June 2012
. Retrieved
1 July
2013
.
- ^
"Mali junta says power transfer 'within days'
"
. Al Jazeera.
Archived
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. Retrieved
1 July
2013
.
- ^
(in Italian)
Pineschi Laura,
TUTELA INTERNAZIONALE DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURALE E MISSIONI DI PACE DELLE NAZIONI UNITE: UN BINOMIO POSSIBILE? IL CASO MINUSMA
, Rivista di Diritto Internazionale 2018, pag. 5, fasc. 1
- ^
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. Al Jazeera.
Archived
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. Retrieved
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2013
.
- ^
"Secure the Sahara, if you can"
.
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.
ISSN
0013-0613
.
Archived
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. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"Mali asks UN to withdraw its peacekeeping mission 'without delay'
"
.
Al Jazeera
. Retrieved
17 June
2023
.
- ^
"Analysis: What's next for Mali after MINUSMA withdrawal?"
.
Al Jazeera
. 3 July 2023
. Retrieved
18 July
2023
.
- ^
Rune Thomas Ege (11 September 2013).
"Norske soldater pa plass i Mali"
.
VG
.
Archived
from the original on 14 September 2013
. Retrieved
16 November
2014
.
- ^
"Secretary-General Appoints Major General Jean-Paul Deconinck of Belgium Force Commander, UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali"
. United Nations.
Archived
from the original on 4 March 2017
. Retrieved
23 October
2015
.
- ^
"Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporre of Sweden Force Commander of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali"
(Press release).
New York
:
United Nations
. 30 August 2018.
Archived
from the original on 31 August 2018
. Retrieved
31 August
2018
.
- ^
"Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Cornelis Johannes Matthijssen of Netherlands Force Commander, Mali Multidimensional Stabilization Mission | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases"
.
- ^
"Personnel MINUSMA"
. 16 March 2015.
Archived
from the original on 1 February 2021
. Retrieved
30 March
2021
.
- ^
"Troop and police contributors"
.
United Nations Peacekeeping
. Retrieved
29 October
2021
.
- ^
"UN troops killed in Mali suicide attack"
.
Al Jazeera
.
Archived
from the original on 23 September 2014
. Retrieved
16 November
2014
.
- ^
"Car bomb kills UN peacekeepers in Mali"
.
Al Jazeera
.
Archived
from the original on 23 September 2014
. Retrieved
16 November
2014
.
- ^
Besheer, Margaret (8 October 2014).
"Mali Calls for Rapid Reaction Force to Quell Unrest"
.
VOA
.
Archived
from the original on 2 December 2014
. Retrieved
16 November
2014
.
- ^
"UN peacekeepers killed in Mali attack"
.
BBC
. 20 January 2019.
Archived
from the original on 21 January 2019
. Retrieved
21 January
2019
.
- ^
Andone, Dakin (21 January 2019).
"Mali: Ten UN peacekeeper killed in attack in Mali"
. CNN
. Retrieved
28 January
2019
.
- ^
a
b
"Mali: 10 UN peacekeepers killed in attack on Aguelhok base"
.
The Defense Post
. 20 January 2019
. Retrieved
21 January
2019
.
- ^
"Peacekeepers killed in attack on UN northern Mali base"
.
France 24
. 20 January 2019.
Archived
from the original on 21 January 2019
. Retrieved
21 January
2019
.
- ^
"Mali: Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for the Aguelhok attack"
.
North Africa Journal
. 20 January 2019
. Retrieved
21 January
2019
.
- ^
Senarathna, Nuwan (26 January 2019).
"Three Sri Lankan soldiers die in Mali attack"
.
Daily FT
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"UN says 3 peacekeepers killed, 4 wounded in Mali attacks"
.
The Star
. 10 May 2020
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"Three UN MINUSMA Peacekeepers Killed in Mali"
.
International Insider
. 10 May 2020
. Retrieved
6 March
2021
.
- ^
"Twenty U.N. peacekeepers wounded in central Mali attack"
.
Reuters
. 10 February 2021
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"French strike in Mali killed 19 civilians in January: UN"
.
Bangkok Post
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"UN peacekeeper killed in north Mali IED attack"
.
France 24
. 3 October 2021.
- ^
"Two explosions hit UN camps in Mali"
.
The Guardian Nigeria News ? Nigeria and World News
. 5 December 2021
. Retrieved
5 December
2021
.
- ^
"Roadside bomb explosion kills UN peacekeepers in central Mali"
. Al Jazeera
. Retrieved
8 December
2021
.
- ^
Vidalon, Dominique (9 December 2021). Heinrich, Mark (ed.).
"France condemns attack that killed seven U.N. peacekeepers in Mali"
.
Reuters
.
Archived
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. Retrieved
9 December
2021
.
- ^
"UN peacekeeper killed in 'terrorist' attack in northern Mali"
.
France24
. 1 June 2022.
- ^
"Mali: UN convoy concludes treacherous 350 kilometre journey | UN News"
.
news.un.org
. 8 November 2023
. Retrieved
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2023
.
- ^
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.
AP News
. 8 November 2023
. Retrieved
9 November
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
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