Bamako, Mali

The United Nations on Monday (Dec 11) officially concluded its decade-old deployment in Mali, its spokesperson released a statement saying, in a move that Mali's military leaders ordered. 

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The mission, which was also known as MINUSMA, lowered the United Nations flag on its headquarters in the capital Bamako, its spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba told the news agency AFP.

She further said that this symbolic ceremony marked the end of the mission. However, some elements of it are still there, she added.

A "liquidation phase" is scheduled for Jan 1, 2024, where activities like handing over the remaining equipment to the authorities will occur.

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UN troops' departure won't be delayed: Mali junta

Earlier, Malian foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop had released a statement saying that the withdrawal of United Nations peacekeepers from northern Mali would not be delayed and would happen on time by December 31. 

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The UN expressed concerns that its drawdown may get hampered by an uptick in fighting in the northern part of the country.

"Everything must be done to ensure the work of MINUSMA is ended by December 31," Diop had said in a video posted on social media on Saturday evening.

"The government does not foresee any extension of this deadline," he said in the recording of comments he made to a meeting of the diplomatic corps in the capital, Bamako.

Mali's ruling junta took over power in the year 2020 and demanded the departure of the mission in the month of June which has been deployed since 2013.

The withdrawal of the United Nations stabilisation mission, MINUSMA, ignited fears that the fighting between the troops and armed factions would heighten over territorial control. 

MINUSMA for a decade had maintained around 15,000 soldiers and police in Mali. The hostile acts had claimed the lives of around 180 members.

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As of Friday, more than 10,500 uniformed and civilian MINUSMA personnel had left Mali, out of a total of around 13,800 staff at the start of the withdrawal, the UN mission said on X.

(With inputs from agencies)