David Mark Explains Why Nigeria Ended Peacekeeping Mission In Mali

Senate President David Mark declared that the activities of Islamist Boko Haram sect had compelled the Federal Government to abort peacekeeping mission in Mali.

* First batch of Nigerian troops landed in Bamako, Mali, on January 18, 2013
Mark made this statement on July 2, 2014, Monday at a two-day retreat on Nigeria’s foreign policy.
The Senate President, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Sen. Anthony Manzo, admitted that Boko Haram insurgency had become a major challenge to Nigeria’s efforts at forging relationships with her French-speaking neighbours.

He further maintained that any government’s foreign policy was an extension of its domestic policy.
The event has been jointly organised by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos.

It would be recalled that according to the UN Security Council Resolution 2071, passed on October 12, 2012, ECOWAS agreed to send a total of 3,200 troops on a peacekeeping mission to Mali. Nigeria promised the biggest contribution equal to 1,200 troops.

However, due to rising wave of Boko Haram violence the Federal Government petitioned the UN secretary Ban Ki-moon and started withdrawal of its troops from the mission from August 2013. The troops were being redeployed to the three troubled North-eastern states being under the state of emergency rule.