United Nations: Mali faces many complex challenges, but they are far from insurmountable
Image: Courtesy Lieutenant-Colonel Chahata Ali Mahamat Captain Abdulazak (centre) deployed at the Argylok Supercamp in northeastern Mali. The camp was attacked by armed terrorist groups.
Briefing the Council today on the updated situation in Mali, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, Qasim Vani, said that the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the duration of the transition period has made it more difficult to make progress in other areas and that little political space remains to remain committed to the implementation of the peace agreements. He stressed, however, that while Mali faces many complex challenges, they are far from insurmountable.
The issue of the political transition period remains to be resolved
Following the August 2020 coup, ECOWAS negotiated an agreement with the regime for a transition period of 18 months. According to this timetable, Mali's political transition should end in March this year.
Unable to complete the transition within the agreed timetable, ECOWAS imposed economic and financial sanctions on Mali in January.
The Transitional Authority requested an extension of the transition period for a further 24 months, but was rejected at the ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit in Accra on 25 March.
The Transitional Authority then issued two decrees on 6 and 10 June, respectively, formally extending the transition period by 24 months from 26 March 2022 and establishing a draft constitution drafting committee to complete the draft constitution within two months.
Wani said that since January, MINUSMA has been actively involved in efforts to overcome the impasse related to the transition period. In the period ahead, MINUSMA will continue its efforts to support a consensus approach to emerging from the crisis, including by assisting, as necessary, in the development of detailed electoral timetables, the establishment of strong monitoring mechanisms and the creation of an atmosphere conducive to the holding of free, fair and credible elections.
Photo: MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko UNSMA supports peace and reconciliation efforts in the country.
The security situation remains volatile
Vani noted that the security situation in Mali remains volatile, with particular concern in the trilateral border area and the central region.
The Liptaco-Gurma region, known as the "border of the three countries", is located at the crossroads of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali and has been frequently attacked in recent years by Daesh and armed groups linked to al-Qaida terror groups.
Vani said the security situation in the Liptacco-Gulma region has further deteriorated since the beginning of the year.
In central Mali, insecurity continues to be affected by inter-communal clashes, protracted governance issues and harassment of civilians and their livelihoods by violent extremists, as well as attacks on the Malian defence and security forces and MINUSMA.
In response to the situation, the Malian army has significantly stepped up its military operations since late December with the aim of stabilizing the region, Vani said.
He stressed that those actions must be based on a comprehensive approach to addressing the institutional, governance and socio-economic challenges that provide fertile ground for the spread of violent extremism.
He noted that military operations must respect human rights and international humanitarian law. He stressed that popular support was a sine qua non for the success of the suppression of the rebellion.
Waani said the survey showed a sharp increase in human rights abuses from January to March 2022 compared to the previous quarter, with 543 deaths, compared with 128 between October and December last year. The perpetrators of human rights violations continue to be predominantly extremist groups, but there has been a marked increase in human rights violations related to the actions of the Mali security forces in central Mali.
Photo: © UNOCHA/Michele Cattani Women cooking in an informal camp for displaced persons in Mali.
The humanitarian situation is dire
Vani said the prevailing environment of insecurity had exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Mali. In 2022, 7.5 million people will need humanitarian assistance, compared to 5.9 million in 2021. By August, more than 1.8 million people will immediately need food aid, the highest level since 2014. Unfortunately, the commendable efforts of humanitarian agencies to meet these needs have been hampered by a lack of adequate funding. To date, only 11% of the $686 million appeal for 2022 has been raised.
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