MINUSMA: UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali

Timeline

25 April 2013
MINUSMA (Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali) was established by UN Security Council Resolution 2100 on to…
1 July 2013
It absorbed the African-led AFISMA force on and operated alongside French counter-terrorism operations (Serval, then Barkhane).
16 June 2023
Tensions over human rights investigations (including the Moura incident of March 2022), restrictions on troop rotations, and the arrival of the Russian Wagne…
30 June 2023
The Security Council terminated the mandate via Resolution 2690 on , and the mission completed withdrawal by 31 December 2023.
31 December 2023
The Security Council terminated the mandate via Resolution 2690 on 30 June 2023, and the mission completed withdrawal by .

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In June 2023, Mali's transitional government demanded MINUSMA's withdrawal, prompting the Security Council to terminate the mission via Resolution 2690 and complete drawdown by 31 December 2023.

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Timeline

25 April 2013

MINUSMA (Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali) was established by UN Security Council Resolution 2100 on to…

1 July 2013

It absorbed the African-led AFISMA force on and operated alongside French counter-terrorism operations (Serval, then Barkhane).

16 June 2023

Tensions over human rights investigations (including the Moura incident of March 2022), restrictions on troop rotations, and the arrival of the Russian Wagne…

30 June 2023

The Security Council terminated the mandate via Resolution 2690 on , and the mission completed withdrawal by 31 December 2023.

31 December 2023

The Security Council terminated the mandate via Resolution 2690 on 30 June 2023, and the mission completed withdrawal by .

Research it like a delegate

MINUSMA (Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali) was established by UN Security Council Resolution 2100 on 25 April 2013 to support political processes and stabilization tasks in Mali following the 2012 Tuareg rebellion and jihadist takeover of the north. It absorbed the African-led AFISMA force on 1 July 2013 and operated alongside French counter-terrorism operations (Serval, then Barkhane).

Its mandate, periodically renewed, centered on:

Supporting implementation of the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement between the Malian government and northern armed groups (notably the CMA and Platform coalitions).
Protection of civilians, particularly in central and northern Mali.
Promoting human rights, supporting humanitarian access, and assisting the return of state authority and basic services.
Supporting electoral processes and political dialogue.

At its peak MINUSMA fielded roughly 13,000 uniformed personnel drawn from dozens of contributing countries, with major contingents from Chad, Bangladesh, Egypt, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Germany. It became the deadliest active UN peacekeeping mission, with more than 300 personnel killed, largely due to IEDs and asymmetric attacks by groups affiliated with JNIM and ISGS.

The mission's relationship with Bamako deteriorated sharply after the August 2020 and May 2021 coups led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. Tensions over human rights investigations (including the Moura incident of March 2022), restrictions on troop rotations, and the arrival of the Russian Wagner Group culminated in Mali's foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop formally requesting MINUSMA's withdrawal on 16 June 2023. The Security Council terminated the mandate via Resolution 2690 on 30 June 2023, and the mission completed withdrawal by 31 December 2023.

MINUSMA's closure is widely cited as a turning point in UN peacekeeping, illustrating the limits of stabilization missions in counter-terrorism environments and the friction between host-state sovereignty and mandate implementation.

Frequently asked questions

Why was MINUSMA considered the UN's deadliest peacekeeping mission?

More than 300 personnel were killed during its decade of operation, primarily through IED attacks and ambushes by jihadist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

Why did MINUSMA end?

Mali's military-led transitional government, hostile to UN human rights scrutiny and aligned with Russian Wagner forces, formally requested withdrawal in June 2023; the Security Council complied via Resolution 2690.

How did MINUSMA differ from Operation Barkhane?

MINUSMA was a UN peacekeeping mission focused on stabilization, civilian protection, and political support, while Barkhane was a French-led counter-terrorism military operation; they coexisted but had separate chains of command and mandates.

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Frequently asked questions

Why was MINUSMA considered the UN's deadliest peacekeeping mission?

Why did MINUSMA end?

How did MINUSMA differ from Operation Barkhane?

Go deeper than the definition

Take MINUSMA beyond the glossary

Frequently asked questions

Why was MINUSMA considered the UN's deadliest peacekeeping mission?

Why did MINUSMA end?

How did MINUSMA differ from Operation Barkhane?