Mali

The United Nations says it is "extremely concerned" that Mali has not allowed independent investigators to visit the town of Moura, where local troops and suspected Russian mercenaries allegedly killed hundreds of civilians. 

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is facing its most difficult period since its inception in April 2013. While French and European forces prepare to withdraw, MINUSMA’s mandate likely will be renewed by the Security Council this June, though questions remain about the mission’s performance and ability to respond to shifts in alliances that could impact longer-term stabilization goals.

A Russian national operating alongside Malian soldiers was killed by a roadside bomb in the center of the conflict-torn Sahel state, an army document and officials said on Wednesday. … The death marks the first confirmed fatality of what in Mali are officially described as Russian military instructors.

Are western nations all withdrawing from the mission in Mali? And how to deal with Mali's growing ties to Russia? German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed these questions on this week's trip there.

Germany's top envoy Annalena Baerbock is visiting Bamako as Berlin prepares to decide whether to extend the Bundeswehr mission in Mali. France already said it would end its Barkhane and Takuba military operations.

[…] The complex, and not always coordinated, ecosystem of military operations across the Sahel has been aptly labeled a security traffic jam. Here, we will focus on what recent developments mean for the UN, French, and European missions.

The EU on Monday decided to halt its military training missions in Mali but will keep a presence in the Sahel, the bloc's top diplomat said Monday.

A UN envoy demanded Thursday access to the Malian village of Moura, site of an alleged massacre late last month by local forces and suspected Russian fighters.

The UN’s peacekeeping chief in Mali on Thursday, made an urgent call for adequate resources for the mission to carry out its mandate, and meet the growing demand to address a deteriorating security situation across the north and centre of the restive country. 

A UN human rights expert on Wednesday called for a full and independent investigation into alleged mass crimes committed in central Mali’s Mopti region late last month, and pleaded with all parties to ensure the “absolute protection” of civilians and an end to the current vicious cycle of violence. … According to news reports, and a detailed report from the the authoritative NGO Human Rights Watch, released on Tuesday, around 300 civilian men were allegedly killed over a period of five days, during the Government sanctioned operation carried out against suspected jihadists.