UK to end troop deployment to UN mission in Mali earlier than planned

ANKARA (AA) – The UK has announced that the country is ending troop deployment to the UN mission in Mali earlier than planned, with British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey saying that two coups in Mali in three years had “undermined” international efforts to maintain peace.

“The Wagner Group is linked to mass human rights abuses, and the Malian government’s partnership with the Wagner Group is counterproductive to lasting stability and security in their region,” Heappey said in a statement to the House of Commons.

Known as a Russian private military company, Wagner Group has reportedly operated in Ukraine, Syria and Libya and some African countries, including Mali and the Central African Republic.

The group has been targeted in the raft of sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries. Russia denies any links to the group.

Since 2012, Mali has been battling growing violence orchestrated by militants in its northern and central regions targeting both soldiers and civilians.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in 2013 to establish a Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to support political processes in the country and carry out security-related tasks.

The UK’s decision came following an announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron in February that his country is shifting its troops from Mali to Niger.