The UN Security Council unanimously approved the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Mali, called MINUSMA, for July 1. The force will take over from and incorporate much of the existing UN-backed African force currently in Mali. The new UN force is expected to reach full capacity by Dec. 31, but presently faces critical shortages of special forces, intelligence, information operations, and helicopters. The peacekeeping activities of the new force will be backed by French counterterrorism operations.
