Mali Rebels Seize Abandoned UN Peacekeeping Base Amid Increasing Violence

Tuareg rebels claim control over key base in Kidal as UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA fast-tracks withdrawal due to escalating violence, raising concerns of a potential showdown with Mali's military.

The UN mission, MINUSMA, is fast-tracking its withdrawal from Mali after being ordered to leave by the country's military junta in June, with a deadline of Dec. 31. The departure has escalated tensions and fighting between the Mali army and rebels, particularly over areas vacated by the peacekeepers.
Eight of the 13 bases operated by MINUSMA have been closed, including the strategically significant base in Kidal, a city historically under rebel control which the Mali military is keen to reclaim. The closure of the Kidal base was claimed by the rebel group the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD) immediately after MINUSMA's departure.
In leaving, MINUSMA destroyed its equipment and noted the extremely challenging conditions amid increasing insecurity and threats to peacekeepers. The exact details about the takeover by the rebels remain unclear.
Mali's junta has criticized MINUSMA for leaving without organizing a formal handover to the Mali army, raising concerns about the destabilizing effect this could have on the already tenuous security situation in the West African nation.
Analysts predict a potential outbreak of fighting in Kidal, adding to the security threat posed by Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State who also operate in the country. The recent upsurge in violence between the Tuareg rebels and the Mali military indicates a failure of the 2015 peace agreement.