UN looks to beef-up Mali peacekeeping force

The United Nations is looking to beef up its peacekeeping force in Mali, where implementation of a peace agreement between the government and rebels has dragged on and increasing attacks by extremists have made it the U.N.’s most dangerous ongoing operation.

U.N. Special Representative for Mali Mahamat Saleh Annadif told the Security Council on Thursday that the security situation in the country has significantly worsened over the past weeks.

He said that 19 peacekeepers were killed in extremist attacks between February and May 2016 and that “so much of this loss of life could have been avoided if the contingents were better equipped,” adding that 12 of those peacekeepers adied in May alone.

Annadif asked the council to add some 2,500 troops to confront the extremist threat, he also called for more helicopters, drones and more robust rules of engagement to counter the threat.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Annadif said that he was asking for more armoured personnel carriers to counter the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices and also helicopters and drones to spot people placing bombs by the side of the road.

Annadif said that the Mali peacekeeping mission was unique in that it was the first to deploy before the peace agreement was even signed in 2013 and “now we have the presence of terrorists with third agenda.”

Annadif said he expected Germany to add 650 troops to Mali force, making them the largest troop contingent followed by the Netherlands.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre, who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for June, said the U.N. mission in Mali needs to be strengthened and its mandate clarified and made more robust adding that it “may be facing the most challenging environment of any peacekeeping force.”

The Security Council is expected to vote on renewing the Mali force’s mandate on June 29.