Amid geopolitical and diplomatic disputes, the relay of Minusma contingents had been blocked by the Malian junta since the month of April. With a new rotation set to begin on Monday, some of the Jambaars were able to leave Sevaré yesterday. Thanks to the lifting of the ECOWAS embargo and its various restrictions, the transitional authorities have eased off and allowed more than 3,500 soldiers and police officers, including 850 Jambaars, to return home.. 

The Ice is breaking! After months of unsuccessful diplomatic conciliations, the junta has approved the resumption of rotations of the Minusma soldiers. For the Jambaars, it’s a long-awaited return home. Blocked for four months on Malian soil, they must have breathed a sigh of relief after landing yesterday in Dakar. « Thanks to the Jambaars for their work in the service of peace and stability in this sister country, » said the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (Minusma). 

Yesterday, the first components of the replacement of the Senegalese battalion based in Sevaré (Central Mali) also arrived in Mali. Without a doubt, Macky Sall’s visit to Bamako on Monday also helped accelerate this process. Though they are not at their highest point ever, relations between the two countries are no longer as cold after the lifting of ECOWAS sanctions and the reopening of the Dakar-Bamako corridor

In any event, it is a first wave of 400 Senegalese soldiers who are beginning to arrive in Mali to replace their brothers in arms. They have been delayed since April because of the junta, which has disrupted the process of replacing UN troops. On the eve of his departure, Colonel Théodore Sarr, outgoing commander of the Senegalese forces in Mali, gave his impressions at the end of a 20-month mission in Mopti: « There is a feeling of having contributed to the resolution of this crisis in this country, which is a neighbor of Senegal where we come from. There is also the fact of having contributed to international peace. He continued, « One of the pillars of Senegalese defense is diplomacy and contribution to international stability. Participating in a peacekeeping operation in a country neighboring Senegal is something particularly important. » Colonel Sarr leaves Mali a more experienced and well-rounded man due to his many encounters in the country. He says, « We had to work for almost two years in a multinational setting with nationalities coming from very diverse backgrounds almost from every continent. There is also the fact that we worked in an integrated mission where we did not only have military actors. We have had many civilian actors from the Minusma but also other civilians from the UN system.

It should be noted that the Senegalese contingent, which was to take over from the 10th battalion, has been stuck in Dakar since April. After the massacres in Ogossagou in Central Mali between 2019 and 2020, it is this same 10th contingent, composed of 850 Jambaars, which had managed to stabilize the area by showing « exemplarity ». General Philippe Pottier, Chief of Staff of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, praised this battalion, which had already completed its mission. That was on March 23..

Departure of 400 Jambaars 

After Colonel Théodore Adrien Sarr and his men, it will be the troops of Colonel Mathieu Diogoye Sène of the 11th Battalion who will continue on the path paved by thousands of Jambaars who have participated to UN missions for several decades.

Today, Minusma’s civilian and military authorities are relieved, as the morale of the men involved and their operational effectiveness were also affected. The resumption of contingent rotations and troop rotations, which began on Monday, August 15, were reached after long and arduous discussions with the Transition authorities. According to MINUSMA, current procedures were put in place to manage the succession of troops and national support elements more « efficiently » during a ministerial-level meeting on August 1 with the Malian government. Although tensions were palpable before being further exacerbated by the junta’s expulsion of the MINUSMA spokesman, the situation was becoming untenable. The pending rotations involve more than 3,500 soldiers and police from more than 60 contributing countries. They will be staggered over the next few weeks to clear the backlog.

Minusma is the most dangerous operation for peacekeepers. Since its establishment in 2013, 321 peacekeepers have lost their lives in the service of peace. While the Minusma’s mandate was extended for one year last June, the French Army and European Special Forces have broken camp after almost 10 years of missions. This withdrawal occurred amidst the junta decision to hand over the keys to its security ecosystem to Wagner’s paramilitaries; a decision which has stunned the international community.

By Bocar SAKHO / bsakho@lequotidien.sn