Africa: 1,000 Chadian soldiers to be sent to Mali as a part of UN mission

At least 1000 Chadian soldiers will be stationed in the West-African country of Mali in order to strengthen its forces, ANI reported citing Russian news agency Sputnik, on Saturday.

According to the Malian Foreign Ministry, the deployment of the squads will strengthen its forces as part of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). On Saturday, the ministry also posted a confirmation communique on the micro-blogging site.

"The ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation is specifying that the deployment is bilateral, upon the request of the Chadian government to reinforce its contingent in northern Mali after reorganization of the forces involved in Operation Barkhane, to resist threats and protect its troops deployed in the area," the communique of the foreign ministry read.

The United Nations peacekeeping chief warned that the crisis in the region remains volatile, with insecurity and instability seriously undermining prospects for development and many lives lost every day as a result of terrorist attacks.

"Millions of people are displaced. Children can no longer go to school, and primary health care remains inaccessible for many while the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging,"Jean-Pierre Lacroix said. Lacroix said that the joint force continues to increase its operational pace but faces "enormous challenges", including the return of foreign fighters from the conflict in Libya.

Libya in turmoil since 2011

Earlier on December 14, the French Defense Ministry said that the nation pulled out the battalions from the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, ending an 8-year military existence in the country within the scope of Operation Barkhane, launched by France in 2014.

Notably, the anti-terrorist operation is also backed by the G5 Sahel group of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania, to seek stability and security in the region. It is worth mentioning that Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. The country has, for years, been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups.

With inputs from agencies

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