Panafrican News Agency

Malian Foreign Minister addresses UN Security Council

Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, has expressed his country's position, concerns and expectations for a possible renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

In an intervention on Monday before the United Nations Security Council in New York. Abdoulaye Diop asked that the mission's actions be focused more on the protection of civilians and support for the restoration of state authority throughout Mali.

In the context of the renewal of MINUSMA's mandate, the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stressed the need for better coordination of the mission's actions with the Malian state to ensure full effectiveness in the fulfilment of its future mandate.

He then stressed the need for the mission to work closely and effectively with the Malian authorities and stakeholders to help Mali protect its civilian population and restore its authority throughout its territory.

On allegations of restrictions imposed on MINUSMA, Diop said that the government had not taken any restrictive measures specifically targeting the mission.

According to him, MINUSMA's mandate must take into account the growing strength of the Malian Defence and Security Forces, which are now on the front line against terrorist groups.

He expressed the Malian government's firm opposition to the intervention on its territory of the French Barkhane force after the unilateral decision to withdraw the force and Mali's denunciation of the defence agreements with France, before insisting on respect for Mali's sovereignty and the decisions taken by the Malian authorities in this regard.

In particular, he recalled that his country, at war with terrorism and insecurity, continued to face a multidimensional crisis following the intervention in Libya.

Despite the international support provided since 2013, the security situation has only worsened. According to him, the results achieved have not lived up to the expectations of the Malian people and the region.

To reverse this trend, the Malian people decided to take their destiny into their own hands. With this in mind, the government developed strategies and made enormous sacrifices by investing massively in its defence and security apparatus.

This has enabled the Malian Armed Forces (FAMAs) to grow in strength and achieve remarkable results on the ground.

Speaking on the concerns of some members of the Security Council on the need to accelerate the implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, Diop said the government was surprised that the report of the Secretary-General noted that the signatory movements had denounced the enlistment of 2,000 new elements to be deployed in the northern regions as part of the special recruitment.

He made it clear that the government had not received any complaint from

any group in this regard. However, he said, the special recruitment initiated by the General Staff was aimed at elements of self-defence groups, as well as the recovery of weapons.

He then stressed that the government remained fully committed to the diligent and intelligent implementation of the agreement.

A Peace and Reconciliation Agreement was signed in May-June 2015 by the Malian government, the armed groups of the North and the international community, with a view to bringing definitive peace to Mali after a series of Tuareg rebellions exacerbated by jihadist attacks.

These resulted in several deaths, injuries and thousands of internally and externally displaced people.

With regard to the G5 Sahel, Diop said Mali's withdrawal from the G5 Sahel, including the Joint Force, was a response to violations of the organization's founding treaties, double standards, and hostile external interference with a founding member state.

The G5 Sahel, which includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, was created in 2015 to fight terrorism in all its forms in the Sahel-Saharan strip and to promote development in the area.

-0- PANA GT/JSG/SOC/BBA/RA 14June2022