MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2022) Risks for the forces of the UN mission in eastern Mali may increase after the withdrawal of the European troops from the country, Olivier Salgado, a spokesman for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) told Sputnik on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Paris announced that France, its allies in the European Takuba Task Force, and Canada had decided to initiate a coordinated withdrawal of troops from Mali, as they believe "the political, operational, and legal conditions are no longer being met for the effective fulfillment of their military obligations."
"As for the Takuba (forces), their departure will also have an impact, given that they fought against terrorism. Therefore, we can foresee an increased risk for our forces operating in the area of (the eastern city of) Menaka. The adaptation process will continue," Salgado said.
