12,600 Peacekeepers Assigned to Mali by the United Nations Security Council

On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved the delegation of 12,600 peacekeeping troops to Mali. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali is composed of troops from West African nations. The troops are expected to protect civilian populations, ensure that human rights are protected, and provide humanitarian assistance whenever needed.

France made the proposition to the UN Security Council after it deployed a 4,000-member security force to the country in the early part of this year to assist in the current effort to drive out Islamist militants. French soldier are supported by military forces from Chad. Tuareg rebels have taken control of two-thirds of Mali. France is particularly concerned that the north of Mali could be a springboard for more attacks from extremists spreading to the rest of the region and to the West.

Third largest UN deployment

The UN peacekeeping force is dubbed Minusma.UN Undersecretary for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous says that the United Nations is fully aware that they are sending them to a rather volatile environment. Ladsous clarifies that the Minusma will not carry out peace enforcement nor counter-terrorist missions. There is an important distinction between peace enforcement and peacekeeping operations. The former involves use of lethal force when engaged in combat while the latter is intended to provide support and monitoring functions. However, Ladsous stressed that the peacekeepers will defend themselves when the need arises.

The deployment reportedly costs $800 million per year. Once in place it will be the third largest deployment of UN peacekeeping forces, after Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan (in Darfur).

Taking over from French forces

At present, France is starting to withdraw its forces from Mali and by the end of the year there will only be 1,000 French troops in the conflict area. With a portion of French forces still in place they say that they will be able to provide assistance to UN peacekeepers should the UN troops find themselves in imminent danger. They are also ready to assist should the Secretary of the United Nations make such a request. The Foreign Minister of France Laurent Fabius stated that his country remains committed to stand by the people of Mali.

The Minusma will take over from the French and will be in Mali in full strength by July 1, 2013.

Hundreds of thousands displaced

Because of the ongoing fighting in the north of the country, a huge number of people have had to flee their homes. The Foreign Minister of Mali, Tieman Hubert Coulibaly called the resolution that created the peacekeeping delegation to his embattled country an important component of the process of stemming the activities of rebels and terrorists. Foreign Minister Coulibaly also elaborated on the mission of the peacekeepers, and said that one of the primary objectives is to restore the state’s authority on the urbanized areas in the north of the country.

Mali is set to hold an election in July. But the United Nations and other members of the diplomatic corps are saying that this may be too ambitious an aspiration given the current situation in the country.