Mali’s government has called for the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission which it says has been a failure.
Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said he wanted the UN Security Council to approve the withdrawal without delay.
Over a decade ago jihadist fighters and Tuareg rebels seized swathes of northern Mali.
Since then thousands of UN troops have been based in the country.
Despite their presence the security situation has steadily deteriorated and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced from their homes.
There have been two coups since 2020 and after falling out with France, the military leaders have turned to Russia for help in the fight against Islamist militants.
