November 3, 2023
UN retreat from Mali in disarray as violence rises
DAKAR: Before U.N. peacekeepers hurriedly left their base in Kidal in northern Mali on Tuesday, they made a costly call: With rebels stationed nearby, they destroyed sensitive equipment to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, the U.N. said. Shortly after the last UN convoy was released, Tuareg rebels announced that they had captured the base. Photos posted on social media on Wednesday appeared to show locals loading trucks with looted goods, including tires, cables and chairs. Mali’s ruling military junta in June ordered the decade-old UN mission, known as MINUSMA, to leave as relations with former international allies
