Report: U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Mali at 74 Percent

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali has deployed 8,280 soldiers on the ground, 74 percent of the number mandated a year ago, and still lacks utility helicopters, a new report says.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in Mali, known as MINUSMA, took over in July 2013 from African forces fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaida that occupied northern Mali in 2012.

It has struggled to get troops into place as France seeks to draw down its force and as security deteriorates in the north while attacks on international and Malian security forces increase.

As of May 26 there were 8,280 U.N. soldiers of the 11,200 mandated a year ago -- including 52 women -- says a report from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, obtained by Agence France Presse and to be debated in the Security Council next Wednesday.

Police deployments have also "strengthened significantly" with 979 officers on the ground -- 69 percent of the authorized total of 1,440 -- including 51 women, said the report.

It calls on contributing states to accelerate the deployment of personnel or assets, saying the force still lacks military utility helicopters, "seriously hampering its air mobility."

The secretary general's report, which covers the period March 24 to May 26, said Malian security forces and MINUSMA were coming under increasing attack as security in the north deteriorates.

Seven U.N. peacekeepers were injured in separate incidents and threats of retaliation against civilians for cooperating with the international community have been reported, it said.

On April 7, an improvised explosive device in Menaka near the MINUSMA camp was detonated by remote control "demonstrating the insurgents' improved tactics and underscoring the vulnerability of United Nations and humanitarian personnel."

On April 30 an IED was found 300 meters (yards) outside MINUSMA camp in Kidal, the cradle of Mali's Tuareg separatist movement, and rockets have landed in and near MINUSMA sites.

Bandits have also attacked trucks transporting supplies for the force, whose proposed budget its second year is $812.7 million.

Staff safety and security remain "major concerns given the sustained threat to United Nations personnel and others from asymmetric attacks, IEDs and kidnappings," the report warned.

As a result, there are severe constraints on being able to deploy civilian staff to remote areas, it added.

The report lists some political achievements but says "many important aspects of the stabilization of Mali, including most tasks included in MINUSMA's mandate, are yet be accomplished."

The humanitarian situation is also cause for concern, it said.

At the end of April, 3.6 million people were food insecure, including 1.5 million severely affected -- the number of which is expected to rise to 1.9 million by June, the report said.

The $568 million needed for the strategic response plan for Mali to meet humanitarian and early recovery needs has so far been only 19.3 percent funded.

Ban stressed the need for a political process, warning otherwise "terrorist groups will seize opportunities to target Malian and international forces, and threaten civilians in the north."