UN chief wants African Union force with tougher mandate for Mali

A Malian soldier of the 614th Artillery Battery trains on a D-30 howitzer with the European Union Training Mission (EUTM), to fight jihadists, in the camp of Sevare, Mali. © REUTERS/ Paul Lorgerie/File Photo

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has told RFI Mali could collapse if the UN withdraws its peacekeeping mission there, but suggested an option could be to replace it with an African Union force backed by a tougher operating mandate.

The UN Security Council will decide next month whether to renew the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in Mali (Minusma).