UN Peacekeeping Chief Encourages Fast & Safe Mali Withdrawal

On Monday, a UN spokesman said that the UN peacekeeping chief urged the mission in Mali to speedily transfer tasks to authorities and partners for a safe withdrawal from the country.

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"Jean-Pierre Lacroix has concluded his visit to the country, after a series of meetings with senior officials from the transitional government, including Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga," Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the end of Lacroix's two-day visit.

Furthermore, Dujarric also said that Lacroix discussed lessons learned during the first phase of the mission's withdrawal, expected to be completed by month's end.

Last week, according to several peacekeepers’ reports, members of the mission, known as MINUSMA, pulled back from a few of their smaller bases in the northern Timbuktu region.

The target is for the entire mission to be out of the country by Dec. 31, following a June UN Security Council resolution honoring Bamoko's request for the mission's standdown.

Moreover, Dujarric also stated that Lacroix thanked authorities for their cooperation, adding that it "is critical to ensuring a safe and orderly withdrawal in a tight timeframe and challenging environment."

The peacekeeping chief urged continued progress on the transfer of tasks from the mission not only to the Malian authorities but also to the UN country team and other partners.

The Security Council mandated MINUSMA in 2013, which has proved to be one of the deadliest UN missions, with more than 300 peacekeepers killed in the line of duty as of June 30 this year.