The UK’s recent decision to withdraw troops from Mali has been met with mixed reactions from both the international community and the people of Mali. On the one hand, some have praised the UK for its decision, arguing that it is a step in the right direction towards peace and stability in the region. On the other hand, others have criticized the UK for its withdrawal, arguing that it will only serve to embolden terrorist groups operating in the region and lead to further instability.
It is still too early to tell what the full extent of the UK’s withdrawal of troops from Mali will be. However, it is clear that this decision will have far-reaching implications for both the people of Mali and the wider region.
Following in the footsteps of its European partners, Britain too has cut short its troop deployment with the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, six months earlier than planned. The UK had been scheduled to contribute up to 500 troops to the mission, but will now only provide around 50. The decision was made after a review of the mission, which found that it was not having the desired effect and was not worth the cost.
The UK announced that it will be withdrawing its troops from Mali, becoming the latest European nation to do so. The move comes as the Sahel region of Africa continues to see large-scale violence and instability. The UK has been one of the main contributors to the region’s troop presence, but will now be withdrawing its soldiers. This follows similar decisions by France and Germany, who have also withdrawn troops from the Sahel in recent years. The UK’s decision is likely to add to the growing sense of insecurity in the region.
“I can announce that the UK contingent will now be leaving the MINUSMA mission earlier than planned,” Defence Minister James Heappey told parliament, referring to the UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali.
The UK had originally planned to withdraw its troops from the MINUSMA mission by the end of June, but Heappey said that the UK would now be “vacating our base in Gao with immediate effect.”
The UK’s withdrawal from the MINUSMA mission comes as the UN is preparing to launch a new peacekeeping operation in Mali, which is set to replace the current MINUSMA mission.
The past three years have been marked by two major coups d’état, both of which have severely undermined international efforts to bring about peace. In both cases, the government of the host country was unwilling to work with us to deliver lasting stability and security, making it impossible for us to deploy our nation’s military to provide the necessary support. As a result, we have been forced to pull back from our efforts in both countries, and the people there have suffered immensely.
The UK’s decision to withdraw troops from the Sahel region comes just four days after France announced that it would be ending its own operation in the region. The Sahel is a group of countries comprising Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. France has been carrying out operations in the region under the name ‘Operation Barkhane’, but has now decided to bring this to an end. The UK has been assisting France in its operations, but will now be withdrawing its own troops.
Earlier in August, Germany, too, halted troops deployment “until further notice” after what Berlin called destabilisation of the region by Russian-backed Wagner group mercenaries. This followed a similar announcement by Sweden in March that it would be leaving the MINUSMA mission altogether. The withdrawals of these two key nations highlight the deteriorating security situation in the region and the inability of the international community to effectively address it.
The MINUSMA mission was originally established in 2013 to help stabilise Mali following a coup and the subsequent seizure of northern Mali by Islamist militants. However, the mission has been unable to stem the tide of violence in the country, and the withdrawal of Germany and Sweden will only make the situation worse.
The mobilisation of European militaries in Mali and Burkina Faso has been contested by residents who have repeatedly demonstrated against their presence. Now, the sudden troop withdrawal is raising questions about whether the region will be left in a better state of security than before.
The insurgency that first erupted in the country’s north in 2012 has now spilled over into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso. With the withdrawal of European troops, it is unclear how the situation will be handled. There is a possibility that the region will be left in a worse state than before, as the insurgency continues to spread.
Burkina Faso has become the epicentre of the conflict in recent years, with thousands of people killed and millions displaced. In a speech to the UK parliament, Heappey insisted that the UK troop pullout did not mean Britain would abandon security commitments to the region. He accused the military junta in Bamako of working with the Wagner group and actively interfering with the UN mission and France-led operations.
The Malian government’s partnership with Wagner group is counterproductive to lasting stability and security in their region, according to a new report. The government has been increasingly relying on the Russian private military company (PMC) to help them battle Islamist militants, but the report argues that this partnership is actually making the security situation worse.
The Wagner group is a shadowy organisation that is believed to be linked to the Kremlin. They have been accused of carrying out various human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, in other conflict zones like Syria and Ukraine.
There are concerns that the same thing could happen in Mali if the trend continues. The report argues that the Malian government should instead focus on building up its own security forces and improving intelligence.
While Mali has in the past denied turning to Wagner’s mercenaries, it still acknowledged the support of Russian military “instructors”. This is likely due to the close relationship between the two countries, as well as the Wagner Group’s experience in similar conflicts. Russia has denied any involvement in the conflict, however, it is clear that their support has been crucial in helping Mali to turn the tide against the insurgents.
As things stand, the UK says it has been working closely with its partners, especially France and the European Union, to consider options for rebalancing their deployment. The goal is to make sure that there is an equitable distribution of the burden of defending the UK and its interests, and to make sure that the UK is not shouldering a disproportionate share of the load.