The overall aim of this study is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the political and security context in which the United Nations' stabilisation mission in Mali (MINUSMA) operates, with a particular focus on the neighbouring states. The study seeks to identify and explain the different drivers that have led to five of Mali's neighbouring states (Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Senegal) contributing troops to MINUSMA, while two of them (Algeria and Mauritania) have decided not to. Through an analysis of the main interests and incentives that explain the states' political and military engagement in Mali, the study also highlights how the neighbouring states could influence conflict resolution in Mali.