Inside Story

Why are peacekeepers leaving Mali?

Canada and Netherlands to pull peacekeepers out as violence spreads.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has warned that his country is facing war as it struggles to contain what the United Nations calls a significant surge in violence.

In late March, more than 153 people died in one of the worst attacks between rival tribes in the country’s history, while armed groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and al-Qaeda are gaining strength. 

But as the government warns of turmoil in the country, UN peacekeepers are leaving. Canada and the Netherlands are set to withdraw their soldiers, and the United States is questioning the mission’s effectiveness.

Presenter: Divya Gopalan 

Guests:

Marie-Roger Biloa – Chief executive officer of MRB Networks

Adam Day – Head of programmes at the United Nations University’s Centre for Policy Research

Paul Melly – Consulting fellow in the Africa Programme at Chatham House