The future of the UN mission in Mali (Minusma), according to the head of the country’s transition Col. Assimi Goita, would depend on a shift in strategy and improved ties with the military.
Col Goita tweeted
that he had held discussions with the UN head of peacekeeping operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who has been on a two-day tour of Mali ahead of the renewal of Minusma’s mandate.
The state-linked L’Essor
quoted Mr Lacroix as saying that this was about ensuring there was an agreement between Mali and the UN “so that when the time comes, the recommendations at the level of the [UN] Security Council are in line with the objectives of the Malian authorities”.
UN peacekeepers have been in the country since 2013, but relations with Bamako have recently deteriorated.
Several countries, including Germany and Cote D’Ivoire, have announced plans to withdraw from the mission or scale down their presence.
Source: BBC