In a move marking the drawdown of MINUSMA personnel, 116 Senegalese peacekeepers were repatriated from Mopti Camp on 20 September.

The larger withdrawal picture reveals that 97 military staff officers (MSOs), 2,583 members of troop-contributing countries, 184 Individual Police Officers (IPOs), and 412 members from formed police units have been repatriated since the beginning of the withdrawal process.

To date, 2,680 members of the MINUSMA Force and 596 members of the United Nations Police (UNPOL) have been repatriated, culminating in a total of 3,276 uniformed personnel departing the mission.

The withdrawal has not solely been in the domain of military and police personnel. MINUSMA has, over time, bid farewell to 81 international staff, and ten United Nations Volunteers (UNVs). This brings the total number of departed civilian staff to 91, and when combined with the military departures, the grand tally stands at 3,367 MINUSMA personnel having left the mission.

The ongoing phased withdrawal of MINUSMA personnel aligns with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2690. Adopted on 30 June 2023, this resolution called for the cessation of MINUSMA’s operations, mandating a full withdrawal by 31st December 2023. As the deadline approaches, it’s anticipated that by the end of September, an even more significant contingent of MINUSMA staff will depart from Mali.