The landlocked country of Mali, once a French colony and a cultural hub of West Africa, was overrun in January 2012 by a coalition of Tuareg and terrorist groups moving south towards the capital of Bamako. After unsuccessful joint efforts by the African Union and France to resolve the conflict, the UN Security Council authorized the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to deploy in July 2013 to help stabilize Mali and assist the country’s return to constitutional order.
The mission monitors the implementation of ceasefire agreements, facilitates political reconciliation, assists in the integration of displaced persons, deliver humanitarian assistance and works alongside Malian authorities to foster and protect human rights.