UN prepares to deploy peacekeeping force in Mali on 1 July

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the UN is still preparing to deploy a new UN peacekeeping force in Mali as scheduled although the security situation in the north remains “complex and volatile”.

In late April, the Security Council authorised a UN force comprising 11 200 military personnel and 1 440 international police to replace a 6 000-member African-led mission now in Mali on 1 July. It said the date could be delayed if security conditions deteriorate.