Later on Friday, the UN Security Council is set to vote to end its peacekeeping mission in Mali and on the terms of the withdrawal.
The government of the West African country abruptly demanded two weeks ago that the force of 13,000 leave without delay.
It was deployed 10 years ago to stabilise a security situation worsened by a growing Islamist insurgency.
But in recent years, Mali has turned to Russia and its Wagner mercenaries for military help. This followed years of tension between the UN and Mali’s military government.
Mali’s leaders suddenly ordered the peacekeepers out, saying they have a crisis of confidence in the force because it hasn’t done enough to stem the violence of the Islamist insurgency.
The peacekeepers have played a key role in protecting civilians, and flying government workers to cities in the conflict zones. Their departure will leave a security and logistics gap, and it’s not clear if there are enough Wagner mercenaries in the country to fill it.
Mali made the decision to expel the UN before the Wagner group’s unsuccessful rebellion against the Kremlin, which has led to uncertainty about Wagner’s continuing role in Africa.