BAMAKO, July 16 (Reuters) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the Security Council to authorize additional troops for the peacekeeping mission in Mali in response to escalating militant violence Islamists, according to a report consulted by Reuters.

The proposed increase of 2,069 troops and police would bring the authorized size of the mission, known as MINUSMA, to 17,278 uniformed personnel, the largest since its inception in 2013.

Guterres made the proposal in a report to members of the Security Council dated July 15 but which has not yet been made public.

He said additional personnel were needed to respond to Islamist militants, many of whom are linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, who have expanded their operations from their northern desert strongholds to central Mali and neighboring countries. .

“Building the capacity of uniformed MINUSMA personnel would enhance the Mission’s ability to protect civilians in central Mali and create additional space for the peace process in the north,” Guterres said.

The additional 2,069 people would include 1,730 soldiers and 339 police officers. Three rapid reaction force companies, comprising 750 people in total, and two helicopter units of 260 members would be created.

In central Mali, the epicenter of conflict in recent years, additional troops would be used to create forward operating bases “to extend the reach and mobility of the Mission,” according to the report.

Guterres said the plan could only work in concert with increased efforts by Malian authorities to bolster security and improve governance.

But the proposal comes as Malian forces increasingly withdraw from hot spots in the countryside where they have suffered heavy casualties, effectively ceding control to the militants.

The former colonial power, France, has also announced its intention to start withdrawing its 5,100-man task force which targets militants in the Sahel region of West Africa. Read more

Meanwhile, Mali is plunged into political uncertainty after military officers carried out their second coup in nine months in May.

Additional reporting and writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Sandra Maler

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