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U.N. Security Council asked to authorise more troops for Mali mission

17 July 2021 00:46 (UTC +04:00)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the Security Council to authorise additional troops for the peacekeeping mission in Mali in response to rising violence by Islamist militants, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The proposed increase of 2,069 soldiers and police officers would take the authorised size of the mission, known as MINUSMA, to 17,278 uniformed personnel, the largest since it was established in 2013.

Guterres made the proposal in a report to Security Council members that is dated July 15 but has not yet been released publicly.

He said additional personnel were needed to respond to Islamist militants, many tied to al Qaeda and Islamic State, who have expanded their operations from their strongholds in the desert north into Mali's centre and neighbouring countries.