Coup in Mali

[Husky_Khan]

United Nations Security Council has decided to remove its decades old UN Peacekeeping Mission to Mali which will draw down in the coming months with a complete withdrawal starting January 1st, 2024. This comes as the transitional government of Mali asked for them to be withdrawn immediately due to a failure to stabilize there.

UN Security Council terminates Mali peacekeeping mission

The Security Council on Friday unanimously approved the complete withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces in Mali, although it will take six months for the final “blue helmets” to depart.

news.un.org

Mali asks UN to withdraw its peacekeeping mission ‘without delay’

The West African nation’s military rulers criticised MINUSMA’s ‘failure’ to respond to security challenges.

www.aljazeera.com

Boost for Wagner as Mali shuns UN troops, but at what cost?

As it pushes out 12,000 UN peacekeepers, Mali will be relying ever more heavily on Russian mercenaries.

www.bbc.com

MINUSMA was established in 2013 with the idea of protecting humanitarian aid to threatened areas of Mali and provide security stabilization. It peaked at 15,000 troops with about 12,000 peacekeepers currently in the country. They suffered over three hundred fatalities.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

Boy...that just makes me want to stay away from Mali altogether.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Yeah twelve to fifteen thousand peacekeepers is a lot and while the security situation in Mali hasn't improved recently... that was with the presence of those thousands of peacekeepers plus the thousand or so Wagner Mercenaries (and two small European Union Military Training Missions) so I'm not exactly seeing how just having the thousand or so Wagner Mercenaries will dampen the intensifying Islamic activity (Islamic State and the Tuareg Groups the Junta walked out of negotiations with) going on in the country.

Then again the Malian junta might be comfortable with the status quo as long as they can keep the Southern part of the country "relatively" safe.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

I'm imagining that you're going to see a drastic increase in teh Wagner Merc population as they exit Russia for 'greener pastures' in Africa. Nothing like having a ready made Warlord's Paradise just waiting for you to come in and help manage.

 

[Scottty]

UN "Peacekeepers" have a reputation of standing around doing nothing while other people kill each other.

 

[Cherico]

UN "Peacekeepers" have a reputation of standing around doing nothing while other people kill each other.

That isn't fair they also have a reputation for molesting children and rape, and thats hardly nothing.

 

[Husky_Khan]

That isn't fair they also have a reputation for molesting children and rape, and thats hardly nothing.

What is that reputation relative in proportion to the other factions in the conflict though?

 

[Cherico]

What is that reputation relative in proportion to the other factions in the conflict though?

their efforts to fit in with local culture have succeded....

 

[Husky_Khan]

their efforts to fit in with local culture have succeded....

That would imply that only this particular UN Peacekeeping mission has engaged in such behavior then as opposed to a general observation of UN Peacekeeping in general.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Oh what rough luck...

 

[Husky_Khan]

In case your wondering where the Wagner Merc's got the almost highly successful "Just drive your large vehicle convoy across the entire huge country" tactic from.



The Mali Security Forces and their Wagner support will have to contend with more then just the Islamic linked militants of various flavors, but a resurgent Tuareg insurgency that was tempered by the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement. The Coordination of Azawad Movements or CMA are apparently restless again.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-09-17/malis-tuareg-rebels-claim-capture-of-more-military-bases

 

[Husky_Khan]

Security Situation since the military coup(s) seems to have degraded a bit these last few months. Thank goodness for myopic journalism or people might notice.

 

[Agent23]

UN "Peacekeepers" have a reputation of standing around doing nothing while other people kill each other.

And trading aid for sex with minors.

 

[Cherico]

And trading aid for sex with minors.

thats an improvement they used to just take that.

 

[Husky_Khan]

And trading aid for sex with minors.

That explains where Captain Scott Ritter got his specialized training from when he worked for the UN. 🫡

 

[Agent23]

thats an improvement they used to just take that.

Stealing and forcing people into prostitution with the proceeds is maaaybeee worse than rape.
2 crimes instead of just one.

 

[Husky_Khan]

In case your wondering where the Wagner Merc's got the almost highly successful "Just drive your large vehicle convoy across the entire huge country" tactic from.



The Mali Security Forces and their Wagner support will have to contend with more then just the Islamic linked militants of various flavors, but a resurgent Tuareg insurgency that was tempered by the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement. The Coordination of Azawad Movements or CMA are apparently restless again.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-09-17/malis-tuareg-rebels-claim-capture-of-more-military-bases

Tuareg Militants reportedly launched an attack on a Malian military base inflicting heavy casualties. Supposedly ninty soldiers killed and thirty vehicles captured.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Bad times continue to roll for the Mali military.



Quite the haul if accurate.

I wonder if they miss Prigozhin...

 

[Husky_Khan]

Three Italian Jevhovah Witness Missionaries captured way back in May of 2022 by AQIM affiliated Islamic militants have finally been released and are returning to Rome. It was an elderly couple in their sixties accompanied by their son who was in his forties. They were apparently in good health despite the long captivity.

Italian Jehovah's Witnesses seized by jihadists in Mali freed

A Jehovah's Witness couple and their son are released following their abduction in May 2022.

www.bbc.com