UK, Ivory Coast announce withdrawal of troops from Mali

WORLD, Nov. 16 (YPA) – Britain and Ivory Coast have announced the withdrawal of their troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.

British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told parliament that almost 300 British soldiers have been in Mali since the end of 2020 as part of a UN peacekeeping mission, “will leave earlier than planned,” the Associated Press reported.

The British minister did not give any timetable for the withdrawal of British troops from Mali.

He described Wagner’s forces as “a group of murderous thugs who violate human rights,” according to the same source.

“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.”

Ivory Coast will gradually withdraw its troops deployed in Mali as part of the peacekeeping mission by August 2023.

E.M