The withdrawal of 116 Senegalese peacekeepers from the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Mali –MINUSMA – brings to three thousand the number of soldiers exiting the mission ahead of its December closure.
The Senegalese contingent exited late in September bringing exit numbers in total to more than three thousand two hundred. The largest withdrawal is 2 583 from troop contributing countries followed by 412 police officers from formed units, 184 individual police officers and 97 military staff officers. All told, to date 3 276 uniformed personnel (military and police) have been withdrawn.
“The withdrawal has not solely been in the domain of military and police personnel. MINUSMA has, over time, bid farewell to 81 international staff and ten UN Volunteers (UNVs). This brings the total number of departed civilian staff to 91,” a statement reads.
The ongoing phased withdrawal of MINUSMA personnel aligns with UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2690. Adopted on 30 June 2023, the resolution calls for the cessation of MINUSMA operations, mandating a full withdrawal by 31 December 2023. As the deadline approaches, it’s anticipated an even more significant contingent of MINUSMA staff will depart Mali.
