UN mission in Mali officially ends after 10 years

The UN mission in Mali officially ended a 10-year deployment in the country on Monday, its spokesperson said, in a pullout ordered by Mali's military leaders. The mission, known as MINUSMA, lowered the United Nations flag on its headquarters in the capital Bamako, its spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba told AFP. The symbolic ceremony marks the official end of the mission, she said, even though some of the elements of it are still there.