On Saturday, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) concluded the rapid departure of troops and civilians from its base in Tessalit, in unrest-ridden northern Mali.

However, the mission is concerned about the safety of a land convoy traveling to Gao, which is located some 550km from the base.

This was revealed by the UN in a note to journalists earlier on Monday.

“The departure from Tessalit marks the first camp closure of MINUSMA in the Kidal region of northern Mali, amid a deteriorating security situation endangering the lives of hundreds of uniformed and civilian personnel,” read the statement.

But it was not a smooth process. A MINUSMA aircraft was hit. Luckily, there were no casualties.

“A MINUSMA aircraft was hit by small arms fire while landing at Tessalit on Thursday, but fortunately there were no injuries to the crew or major damage to the aircraft,” the UN said.

MINUSMA was actively monitoring the situation with a view to altering the strategy as it prepared to start retreating from its base in Aguelhok, another community in the Kidal region.

The mission said there were some logistical headaches beyond its control that could derail the 31 December deadline.

“The mission is continuously adapting to the evolving developments on the ground and a host of logistical constraints beyond its control, driven by the imperative of the safety and security of its peacekeepers. It is doing so in full transparency and impartiality, in line with the principles of peacekeeping,” the UN said.

It added that some of its equipment had been destroyed during the rushed departures, meaning that the machinery the body intended to redeploy to other crisis hotspots on the continent had been rendered useless.

The UN added:
The accelerated withdrawal is resulting in the destruction of equipment, such as vehicles, equipment, ammunition, generators, and other assets, that should have been returned to troop-contributing countries or redeployed to other United Nations peacekeeping missions, causing significant material and financial losses.

“The Secretariat has briefed the Security Council and troop-contributing countries on the situation, and the Government of Mali has been kept informed throughout the process,” the UN said.

The UN also argued that losses might have been avoided if the 200 trucks, which have been unable to move away from Gao since 24 September, had been allowed to leave for the Kidal region as part of the mission’s overall withdrawal strategy in order to gather and remove equipment from the three MINUSMA sites.

In a coup in 2021, Mali’s military rulers took control, and in June this year, they abruptly ordered the UN to finish its 10-year mission and leave.

More than 12 000 uniformed foreign peacekeepers and 4 300 civilian employees must be repatriated.