BAMAKO, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has officially ended its 10-year deployment, MINUSMA head El-Ghassim Wane said in Bamako, the capital city.
Regarding the MINUSMA withdrawal process, 10 of the 13 areas occupied by the UN force have already been closed and handed over to the Malian authorities, Wane told an official ceremony Monday marking the final withdrawal of MINUSMA.
"In the coming days, partial handovers of the mission's remaining areas, Bamako, Gao and Timbuktu camps, will be carried out," he said.
The MINUSMA made "immense sacrifices" throughout the 10 years of presence in Mali, and many Malians benefited from its services, Wane said.
The military government in Mali, established after the May 2021 coup, requested MINUSMA to withdraw, saying it was ineffective in stopping raids by jihadists, particularly in the country's north.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in June, authorizing the withdrawal by Dec. 31, 2023. The liquidation of MINUSMA will begin on Jan. 1, 2024.
