KATHMANDU, Dec 19: Following the United Nations' decision to wind down the peace mission in conflict-ridden Mali, Nepal's involvement in the UN peace efforts has been diminished to 12 missions.

On Monday, 59 members of the Nepalese Army (NA) returned to Kathmandu after being stationed in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). This follows the recent return of 93 NA personnel from the same mission.

The 93 NA personnel, led by Major Prajwal Thapa, returned home along with arms and supplies via a United Nations-chartered aircraft. In total, there were 168 peacekeepers, including 12 staff officers and military observers, deployed in the mission.

The remaining 16 Nepalese peacekeepers in the mission are expected to return home in the near future, according to the NA's Directorate of Public Relations and Information.

With the closure of MINUSMA, the NA now maintains a presence in 12 different UN missions globally, ranking second as a troop-contributing country. Currently, the NA has approximately 5,796 soldiers, including over 500 female soldiers, serving in 12 different missions worldwide. 

The UN decided to wind down the Mali mission after Mali's military government, which assumed power in 2020, demanded in June this year the departure of the decade-old mission.  The symbolic ceremony marking the official end of the mission took place at the headquarters in the capital, Bamako, where the UN flag was lowered on December 11.

The UN mission in Mali officially concluded its 10-year deployment in the country, according to its spokesperson, Fatoumata Kaba. Despite this, some elements of the mission will remain until a "liquidation phase" begins after January 1, involving activities such as handing over any remaining equipment to the authorities.

Mali's military government, in power since 2020, requested the mission's departure, deployed since 2013, despite facing attacks by armed groups in the Sahel region.

The withdrawal of MINUSMA troops has raised concerns about increased fighting between Malian forces and armed groups for territorial control. Over the past decade, the mission maintained about 15,000 soldiers and police in Mali, with about 180 members killed in hostile acts.

Despite the initial welcome, the UN troops were forced to leave Mali unceremoniously, with the country's instability far from resolved. After seizing power in August 2020, Mali's government shifted alliances and faced condemnation for its association with Russia's Wagner Group.

The presence of mercenaries from the Wagner Group has drawn strong criticism from Western countries, arguing that it threatens Mali's stability. Mali government, however, has insisted that the Russian fighters are merely trainers assisting local soldiers in combating rebel groups.

 
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