Mali: Minusma soldiers fear Barkhane's withdrawal
Vehicle of the Minusma peacekeepers between Mopti and Djenné, in central Mali, April 28, 2019 (illustration photo).
© MICHELE CATTANI / AFP
Text by: David Baché
3 min
In Mali, the mandate of the UN mission must be renewed by the end of the month, no change is expected in the format of this peacekeeping operation, but the announcement of the end of the he French operation Barkhane is on everyone's mind.
Minusma did not react to the announcement of the end of Barkhane, officially the mission still indicates "
assess the possible consequences
" of this withdrawal.
But off the microphone, the peacekeepers do not hide their concern.
Publicity
Read more
“
In some areas, the mere presence of Barkhane is a deterrent
,” explains a UN military official, “
and when we suffer big attacks, they are the ones who defend us.
"
In April, when the Aguelhoc camp in the Kidal region was attacked by a hundred jihadists, it was the intervention of French planes that reversed the trend.
And the examples are not lacking, recalls this officer based in Timbuktu and who, without denigrating his own house, explains that "
the power, the responsiveness, the professionalism and the cohesion
" of the French force are precious resources which will be lacking in the event of 'emergency.
"
The French withdrawal will leave the field open to the jihadists
"
He and another UN officer, based in Mopti, also evoke the sharing of information, fearing that the information that could provide other partners, regional or European, is not of the same level.
Finally and above all, it is the network that worries: "
They are going to leave a void, deplores a general of the UN force stationed in the North
". "
Barkhane does zone control, it is a mobile force which hinders the movements of the jihadists
", abounds the peacekeeper of Timbuktu. According to him, "
the G5 will not have the same level, Takuba is carrying out targeted and one-off operations, so the French withdrawal will leave the field open to the jihadists
", he predicts without hiding his pessimism. "
They will spread over more area, and where they come once a month, they will be able to come three times
[...]
the populations will be subjected to their law more
".
The French Barkhane force and the Minusma peacekeepers do not operate together: the first has an offensive counterterrorism, intelligence and attack aim, while the second is in Mali to ensure peacekeeping, with a simple capacity reaction and response, even if it can be robust.
But they collaborate, especially for the sharing of information, and above all share the same field of action and the same enemies.
To date, the UN Mission has not reacted to the announcement of the withdrawal of the Barkhane force and still indicates "
assess the possible consequences
".
►Also read: End of Barkhane: Mali facing the French military disengagement in the Sahel
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Mali
G5 Sahel
UN
On the same subject
Guest Africa
End of Barkhane: "It is the recognition that the strategy defined by France did not work"
End of Barkhane: Mali faced with French military disengagement in the Sahel