Côte d’Ivoire to pull out contingent from UN peace keepers in Mali in backdrop of bilateral crisis

Côte d’Ivoire Tuesday informed the Unite Nations about its decision to gradually withdraw its forces taking part in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), amid ongoing feud between Abidjan and Bamako.
The Ivorian mission to New York, in a correspondence to Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said the West African country will pull out progressively the military and police personnel deployed in Mali.

The mission also said that the planned deployment of military troops and police contingents to Mopti, for October and November will be called off.

“Côte d’Ivoire does not plan to relieve, in August 2023, the military and other forces present in the MINUSMA force. The Ivorian government would therefore be grateful to the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) for the appropriate measures it would like to take for the immediate implementation of this decision,” the correspondence added.

Ivorian authorities also announced that the country is committed to contributing to peace and that the troops are available to be redeployed on other missions.

Abidjan’s decision comes amid ongoing feud between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. The showdown began in July after Bamako arrested 49 Ivoirian soldiers that Abidjan said were deployed as part of the MINUSMA. Malian authorities accused the soldiers of plotting to a coup but Abidjan denied any wrongdoing.

Côte d’Ivoire’s decision to pull out its contingent from Mali comes following the United Kingdom’s same plans to withdraw it 300 soldiers in Mali in the framework of the UN mission. UK however says its decision is motivated by the collaboration between the Malian government and Russian private security company Wagner accused of human rights violations.