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The 143 autos left Kidal on 31 October and travelled practically 350 kilometres, transporting 848 peacekeepers from Bangladesh, Chad, Egypt, Guinea and Nepal, in addition to gear.
‘An incredible feat’
The convoy – which was reportedly roughly 9 kilometres lengthy – encountered six improvised explosive units alongside the way in which.
Thirty-seven “blue helmets” required medical consideration, although all have since been discharged or are in secure situation.
Speaking in New York on Wednesday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the convoy additionally needed to depart with out air help attributable to a scarcity of flight clearance from the Malian authorities – a state of affairs that elevated the security danger of the peacekeepers.
“In addition to insecurity, dangerous climate and poor street circumstances prompted autos to interrupt down, including to the challenges the convoy confronted on its approach to Gao,” he informed journalists.
“As a results of the delays, they have been operating low on provides, and needed to be resupplied by air with gasoline, water and different objects,” he added.
Replying to reporters’ questions at Wednesday’s briefing, Mr. Dujarric stated the convoy’s arrival was “a tribute to the superb work that our peacekeepers do below probably the most troublesome circumstances”.
“It’s an incredible feat to convey a convoy of some 800 individuals, 9 kilometres lengthy, to relative security and we’re completely satisfied that so far as we all know, not one of the peacekeepers have been significantly injured.”
Departure and liquidation
The departure from Kidal marks the closure of MINUSMA’s eighth base out of a complete of 13.
In the approaching weeks, the Mission will finish its presence in Ansango, positioned within the Gao area, adopted by Mopti, thus finishing the second and ultimate part of the withdrawal plan.
The remaining bases of Gao, Timbuktu and Bamako, the place MINUSMA is at the moment consolidating its presence, can be handed over to the Malian authorities as soon as the so-called liquidation part, which begins on 1 January, is accomplished.
Only a small crew will stay behind to supervise each the orderly transport of property belonging to nations that contributed uniformed personnel to the Mission, and acceptable disposal of UN-owned gear
“These property will both be repatriated or redeployed with different UN missions, or gifted to the Malian authorities or offered out there, in accordance with our related guidelines and laws relating to the closure of peacekeeping missions,” stated Mr. Dujarric.
End drawing nigh
MINUSMA was established by the UN Security Council in April 2013 within the wake of a coup in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and an insurgency within the north.
The Mission has supported political processes and carried out quite a lot of security-related duties. It has usually been known as among the many most harmful UN peacekeeping missions, with 310 fatalities recorded.
The Council terminated the Mission’s mandate in June following a request by Mali’s navy authorities.
As the drawdown of MINUSMA personnel continues, half of the 13,871 personnel have now departed the nation.
Chadian and Guinean peacekeepers who have been within the convoy that left Kidal are this week scheduled to depart Gao for his or her homelands.
Mr. Dujarric reaffirmed the UN’s willpower to finish the MINUSMA withdrawal by 31 December, including “and we’re relying on the complete help of Mali in that regard.”
