UN secretary general calls for strengthening Mali mission

Source: 
IHS
Publication date: 
Jun 07 2016

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon announced on 1 June that he will propose an increase in the troop numbers and capabilities of the UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to the UN Security Council.

The announcement was made in the immediate aftermath of a series of deadly attacks against MINUSMA forces. Five Chadian peacekeepers were killed in an attack on their convoy north of Aguelhok on 18 May. Five Togolese peacekeepers were killed when their convoy was ambushed west of Sévaré on 29 May. A Chinese peacekeeper, a French United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) agent, and two Malian security guards were killed in two attacks in Gao on 31 May.

MINUSMA is the UN's deadliest mission. It has suffered 86 fatalities since it was set up in April 2013, with 19 deaths recorded since the start of this year.

Ban's statement followed his handover of a report on MINUSMA to the Security Council in which he reportedly recommended increasing the mission's authorised strength from 11,240 to 13,289 personnel. The report said the extra troops should come with additional capabilities, including intelligence gathering and analysis, air support, and explosive ordnance disposal.

The secretary general's report also suggested incrementing the number of United Nations Police (UNPOL) from its current 1,440 to 1,920 to strengthen the force's training and patrolling capabilities, most notably by creating a dedicated UNPOL intervention unit in Bamako and a riverine patrol component.

The MINUSMA mandate expires on 30 June and will have to be renewed by a Security Council vote, which will have to take into consideration the findings and recommendations of the secretary general's report.

Erwan de Cherisey

Source: http://www.janes.com/article/61017/un-secretary-general-calls-for-streng...