The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) announced Monday it would close after ten years of service. Mali previously called upon the UN to withdraw from the country “without delay” in June. The UN began withdrawing the mission in July.

MINUSMA expressed gratitude to the countries that supported their effort and thanked the peacekeepers for their dedication to the mission. Though a few personnel and sites remain, the full withdrawal will be completed by the January 1, 2024 deadline.

This comes as the mission announced on December 1 that 9,680 uniformed personnel out of 12,944 and 360 out of 927 civilian personnel had been evacuated. At the time, 10,040 staff members were left in Mali. 

Head of MINUSMA El-Ghassim Wane told AFP News, “We are leaving… proud of what we have been able to achieve, but also clear-sighted about the limits of our action.”

The UN Security Council agreed to withdraw MINUSMA from the nation in July, which formed in 2013 to help with political processes and security efforts amidst unrest from a 2012 coup. Now, the transitional Malian government will undertake these efforts. The Mali government is currently under military rule, though it is supposed to transition back to civilian leadership in 2024.