Emerging Lessons from MINUSMA’s Experience in Mali Introduction

The mission was mandated to stabilize population centers in the north, support the implementation of the political transitional roadmap, protect civilians under threat of violence, and promote human rights, among other tasks.1 On June 16, 2023, after ten years of the mission’s presence in the country, the On June 13, 2024, the International government of Mali requested its immediate withdrawal. [...] Although the mission made efforts to adapt to the changing House rule of non-attribution and political and security context in Mali, the lack of buy-in from governing does not necessarily represent the authorities following two unconstitutional changes of government and increased volatility in the operating environment ultimately led to the views of all participants. [...] The UN peacekeeping mission, initially ment, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR), authorized to maintain a force of 11,200, was supported by the creation of reconstituted battal- mandated to stabilize population centers in the ions in the north and the establishment of interim northern region and to support the political authorities. [...] The signing of the among the parties in collaboration with the Ouagadougou agreement between the govern- International Mediation, a framework launched by ment and armed groups in June 2013 paved the Algeria to revitalize the peace process that way for organizing and holding legislative and comprised Algeria, France, the United States, presidential elections. [...] The protracted ECOWAS’s imposition of sanctions due to the delay political transition took the attention of the in the political transition led the Malian authorities international community and Malian authorities to impose restrictions on troop rotations of West away from the implementation of the peace African TCCs in and out of the country, which was agreement, leaving MINUSMA with little lever.