MINUSMA Closes — Deadliest UN Peacekeeping Mission in History Ends

MINUSMA's final flag is lowered in Bamako on December 31, 2023, ending the UN mission 10.5 years after its founding. Total deaths: 304 (175 malicious act) — the deadliest UN mission ever. Annual cost: $1.2 billion — the most expensive. Its departure leaves a security vacuum that JNIM rapidly exploits to expand control across central and northern Mali.