The UN Security Council decided in a resolution on Friday to end the 10-year peacekeeping mission in Mali.

This development comes after the sudden demand two weeks ago by the military junta in the West African country that the 13,000-person peacekeeping force leave without delay.

The end of the operation, known as MINUSMA, comes after years of tensions and government restrictions that have hampered peaceful air and ground operations since Mali began working with the Russian mercenary group Wagner in 2021.

The 15-member Security Council approved France’s draft resolution asking the mission to begin on Saturday July 1 the cessation of its operations, the transfer of its equipment as well as the orderly reduction of its troops and the safe withdrawal of its personnel, so as to complete the process by December 31, 2023.

UN peacekeepers are playing a vital role in protecting civilians from an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands. Some experts fear the security situation could worsen once the mission leaves, leaving Mali’s under-equipped army with only about 1,000 Wagner fighters to fight the militants who control parts of the territory in the desert north and center.

The Security Council resolution authorizes MINUSMA to respond within its immediate area to imminent threats of violence against civilians and to contribute to the safe, civilian-led delivery of humanitarian assistance until September 30.

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Still, the resolution asked the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to work with the Malian authorities to draw up a plan for the transfer of MINUSMA’s tasks and present it to the Security Council by August 15. It also calls on Mali to cooperate fully with the UN during the withdrawal.

Calling for MINUSMA to leave, Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdelaziz Diop, told the Security Council earlier this month that there was a crisis of confidence between the UN mission and the Malian authorities.

Until December 31 MINUSMA is mandated to provide security for UN personnel, facilities, convoys, facilities, and equipment, to carry out operations to remove Agency personnel and humanitarian workers at risk, and to provide discharges for medical reasons.

Mali is struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that took root after an uprising in 2012. The UN Security Council deployed MINUSMA in 2013 to support foreign and local efforts to restore stability. Frustration over growing insecurity prompted two coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021.

Also read: Germany | Withdrawal of forces from Mali by end of 2023