Germany had deployed some 1,000 soldiers to Mali, most near the northern town of Gao, as part of the MINUSMA peacekeeping operation, established in 2013 to fight armed groups there. But now German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said his country will speed up the withdrawal of its soldiers out of Mali, in light of the planned end of the UN peacekeeping mission on 30 June. More specifically, the decision was taken after Malian authorities prevented a flight carrying 110 German soldiers deployed with the MINUSMA from leaving the country. But experts question why more and more African nations want UN peacekeepers out, while they are on missions to restore peace and stability to the nations in which they operate. UN peacekeeping missions in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Mali, and the Central African Republic (CAR) are struggling to succeed amid escalating violence as well as complex political and cultural dynamics.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 01, 2023 02:58 UTC