New York & The Hague, 4 July 2023 – Following the UN Security Council’s decision to approve a rapid withdrawal of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) at the request of Bamako, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is deeply concerned that this decision may cause a severe deterioration of the security, humanitarian, and human rights situation in the country, leading to significant harm to civilians.  CIVIC calls for a deliberate, phased, and sequenced withdrawal of MINUSMA to ensure civilians remain protected during the transition period. 

“The protection of civilians should be a preeminent consideration when determining how, when, and where to draw down UN peacekeepers,” says Wendy MacClinchy, CIVIC’s Interim Senior Director of Advocacy. “We strongly recommend that MINUSMA establish protection of civilians benchmarks to inform the sequencing of its transition, taking into account persisting threats against civilians and the capacity of other actors to protect them.”  

Research shows that premature or poorly managed departures of peacekeeping missions may lead to increased violence against civilians as was the case in Darfur. CIVIC fears that the human costs of these transitions may be particularly high when they are driven by political imperatives rather than the successful completion of benchmarks linked to any persisting threats against civilians. 

MINUSMA, which began drawing down its presence on 1 July, will completely withdraw from Mali by 1 January 2024. 

To ensure a transition that minimizes threats to the protection of civilians, CIVIC reminds that the UN needs to engage closely with Malian stakeholders at the national and local levels, not just the transitional government, in developing a plan for transferring MINUSMA’s tasks to other actors. CIVIC insists that the transition plan should rely on inputs from, not just consultations with, civil society representatives and communities from across the country, including central and northern Mali. 

After MINUSMA leaves, the main actors responsible for and capable of promoting the protection of civilians will be the Malian government, civilians themselves, and the UN system remaining in the country. Resources to support functions enabling the protection of civilians such as monitoring mechanisms, civilian harm tracking systems, information sharing, accountability and reparations, and community-based protection initiatives, need to be increased.  

“Even if the departure of MINUSMA is occurring at a time of extreme fragility in the Sahel, actions can be taken to prevent a chaotic disengagement. That’s why the UN and Security Council should apply the hard-learned lessons of past peacekeeping transitions to the upcoming MINUSMA withdrawal,” says MacClinchy. 

Facts & Figures: 

• MINUSMA was established by the UN Security Council in 2013 following a coup the previous year. 
• As of February 2023, the mission’s presence stood at more than 17,400 personnel.  
• Since its deployment in Mali, MINUSMA has suffered more than 300 fatalities, making it the deadliest UN peacekeeping operation. 
• With a budget of $1.2bn, MINUSMA is the UN’s most expensive mission. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:    

Hajer Naili, Director of Communications, [email protected], +31.6.21.69.68.86 / +1 917 889 5982 (WhatsApp)    

Spokespersons available for interviews in English and French