The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) lowered the United Nations flag at its headquarters in Bamako, the capital of Mali, on the same day, symbolically ending 10 years of deployment in Mali, according to AFP on December 11**.
According to the report, MINUSMA spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba told ** that the flag-lowering ceremony symbolically marked the end of MINUSMA's mandate, although some members of the mission will remain here for the time being.
According to the report, in order to counter the spread of "jihadism", the mission of MINUSMA began in 2013. "Jihadism" threatens the stability of this poor and fragile country and continues to this day.
Some 180 members of MINUSMA have been killed in attacks carried out mainly by groups affiliated with Al-Qaida or ISIL. MINUSMA has become the most costly United Nations mission in recent years. Its staff is made up of about 150,000 soldiers and police.
The head of MINUSMA, Qassem Vani, said on the 11th that in the context of asymmetric violence, the task is difficult in the face of such a huge battlefield and the "high expectations" of the people. "There will inevitably be a gap between what MINUSTAH can reasonably accomplish and the hope it can bring," he said. Still, it has achieved a lot. ”
The head of the Mission announced that all personnel unrelated to the final "clean-up" would be evacuated by 31 December.
According to the United Nations **11 December**, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) held a ceremony in the country's capital Bamako on the same day to commemorate the peacekeeping operation carried out in Mali over the past decade and took the opportunity to officially announce the end of the Mission's mandate.
At the request of the Malian Army**, the Security Council terminated the mandate of the Mission in June this year. So far, 10 of the 13 MINUSMA bases in the country have been closed.
In 2012, a coup d'état took place in Mali, and in 2013 the Security Council established MINUSMA. Over the past 10 years, MINUSMA has shouldered the most challenging peacekeeping mission of the United Nations.
The liquidation of MINUSMA will begin on 1 January next year. Upon completion of this work, the Mission's remaining three bases will also be handed over to the Malian authorities.