US Agrees to Keep Current Funding for UN Mission in Mali as It Slashes Other Peace Ops
June 30, 2017
A Nigerian peacekeeper for the UN mission in Mali, working near the Niger border to detect cases of Rift Valley fever, 2016. The US decided not to push for cuts to the mission’s budget as it slashes away at other UN peace operations. SYLVAIN LIECHTI
After a month of contentious debate between the United Nations Security Council and UN budget committees, agreement has been reached for the UN to stay focused on Mali and the Sahel region, where terrorism is threatening to destabilize the area. The region extends across Africa from east to west in an arc right below the Sahara.
The Council voted on June 29 to renew the mandate of the peacekeeping operation, Minusma, for another year at its current troop numbers and to prioritize its political and civilian support to the Malian peace process.
The vote, said François Delattre, France’s ambassador to the UN, was “crucial” for setting “clear lines of action for Minusma to help restore security in Malian territory . . . and to close the security gap that terrorist groups are benefiting.”
Feared cuts to the mission by the US did not materialize, as Minusma’s $1.1 billion budget for next year will be slightly below its previous level. Haggling continued minutes before the vote, with Nikki Haley, the American ambassador, huddling with Delattre, right in the Council chamber.
According to one of the permanent-five members of the Council, the US was suddenly citing a 15-day notification rule to let US Congress know that Minusma’s annual budget would actually be a tad higher than what Congress expected (by about $7 to $12 million, according to the P5 ambassador). The sudden glitch sent France into a frenzy to get the vote through. (The P5 consists of Britain, China, France, Russia and the US.)
The US was also objecting to Minusma’s support to the Malian defense and security forces, a dubious group at best. Minusma must help reform this sector if Mali’s government is ever to earn the confidence of its population, say experts.
