British troops

Three hundred British soldiers have arrived in Mali to strengthen the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), a statement from the UN mission said on Friday.

According to MINUSMA, this British tactical force, mainly drawn from the Light Dragoons cavalry regiment, as well as the infantry regiment of the Royal Anglian Regiment and supported by specialists from across the British Armed Forces, will provide highly specialized recognition duties.

It will conduct intelligence patrols and cooperate with local populations to help the UN respond to threats from violent extremism and weak governance, the statement added.

“The United Nations mission in Mali is working to support peacekeeping efforts, encourage security sector reform, protect civilians and promote human rights,” recalls MINUSMA, which has more than 14,000 peacekeepers from 56 different countries.

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace said that his country, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, “demonstrates, through this deployment, its firm commitment to peacekeeping and, by protecting local communities, the importance it attaches to improving security in the Sahel”. (PANA/NAN)