The United Nations sanctions imposed on Mali are about to be terminated following the veto of a resolution by Russia.

The United Nations sanctions imposed on Mali are scheduled to terminate on Thursday, August 31. This decision comes as a result of Russia exercising its veto power to prevent the extension of the sanctions regime, which was designed to address several violations and obstructions related to the 2015 peace agreement, hindered humanitarian aid distribution, human rights abuses, and the recruitment of child soldiers.

The United Nations (UN) sanctions monitors have consistently provided reports to the UN Security Council, highlighting instances of violence against women and other severe human rights violations perpetrated by Mali's armed forces and its foreign security allies, suspected to be the Wagner mercenary group affiliated with Russia. These actions are employed as a means to instill fear and terrorize the affected population. Historically, the United Nations Security Council, in which Russia holds membership, has made the decision to prolong United Nations sanctions on Mali and sustain the practice of autonomous monitoring.

However, on Thursday, a proposal was put forth by France and the United Arab Emirates to prolong the United Nations sanctions and provide an additional year of independent monitoring. Thirteen members of the Security Council voted in favor of the measure, but Russia exercised its veto power, while China chose to abstain from the vote.

Russia, on the other hand, has suggested the extension of United Nations sanctions in Mali for a final duration of one year, while simultaneously advocating for the swift termination of independent monitoring. Russia was the sole nation that cast an affirmative vote, whereas Japan expressed a negative vote, and the remaining 13 member states opted for abstention.

During a session of the United Nations Security Council, Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Wood, expressed that Russia's objective was to eradicate the autonomous oversight mechanism with the intention of suppressing the dissemination of inconvenient realities pertaining to Wagner's activities in Mali, which warrant scrutiny.

In his response, Dmitry Polyanskiy, the Deputy UN Ambassador of Russia, dismissed the claims as speculative and characterized them as indicative of unfounded fears. He further asserted that Russia was fulfilling its obligation to safeguard the interests of Mali, the country directly impacted by the situation, as mandated by the council.

The United States has additionally levied accusations against Wagner, a private military company with an estimated 1,000 personnel deployed in Mali, alleging their involvement in orchestrating a sudden appeal by the junta for the withdrawal of a United Nations peacekeeping force consisting of 13,000 troops. The operation, which has spanned a duration of ten years, is anticipated to conclude by the month of December.

The junta in Mali, which assumed control through coups in 2020 and 2021, formed an alliance with Wagner in 2021 with the aim of combating an Islamist insurgency.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the private military company known as Wagner, tragically passed away in a recent plane crash in Russia. Subsequently, President Vladimir Putin issued a directive mandating Wagner soldiers to formally pledge their loyalty to the Russian state.

The military junta in Mali corresponded with the Security Council in the preceding month, expressing their request for the removal of sanctions.