UN peacekeeping mission in Mali completes its withdrawal

Soldiers stand at attention, as the last contingent of the German army Bundeswehr soldiers return from its peacekeeping force known as MINUSMA (Multinational Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) in Wunstorf, Germany, December 15, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo

(Reuters) - The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, is poised to complete its withdrawal from the country on Sunday, the United Nations said in a statement.

Security experts warn the area could now become the focus of a struggle in the north as rebel groups and the army seek to take areas that the U.N. has left, further destabilising Mali, where Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State also roam.