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7917th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Mali
Delivering his first briefing as Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix called for enhanced efforts to combat transnational organized crime, and welcomed the decision by the “Group of 5” (G5) Sahel countries to establish a regional force to combat such activities. The Council could also consider adjusting the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), or imposing sanctions on “spoilers”, he said.
Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report (document S/2017/271), he provided an update on the situation in Mali, recent positive developments, among them. They included the recent appointment of transitional authority officials in Mali’s northern region and the successful conclusion of the Conference of National Understanding, all of which had proceeded in spite of the dastardly attack against the Operational Coordination Mechanism camp in Gao, northern Mali, in January. Emphasizing the critical importance of international efforts in maintaining that momentum, he cited, among other challenges, the convergence of various armed factions under the Al-Qaida banner.
As Council members took the floor, many voiced support for those options, with France’s representative emphasizing the prospect of sanctions as an indispensable option in efforts to remove impediments to the peace process. A sanctions regime would target those involved in drug trafficking or in hindering implementation of the Peace Agreement, he noted.
Other speakers disagreed, with the Russian Federation’s representative emphasizing instead the need for a development strategy in northern Mali. The north remained a major source of terrorist activity, with new groups and leaders constantly emerging, he said, underlining the need to combat extremist ideologies and improve the Sahel region’s socioeconomic conditions. Pointing out that radicals had only appeared in the region after the destabilization of Libya, he stressed that Mali’s stability could not be achieved without first resolving the situation in that neighbouring country.
Mali’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and African Integration reinforced that point, saying that the threats arising from insecurity in Libya persisted. As the current President of the “G5 Sahel” (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso) Mali was working to put a regional counter-terrorism force together as soon as possible, he said. Calling for speedy approval of its deployment, with United Nations support, he said the goal was not to become embroiled in an endless war but to create an environment more conducive to the successful execution of MINUSMA’s mandate.
Other speakers offered differing visions of that mandate, with some expressing support for MINUSMA’s unique counter-terrorism efforts and others voicing concern that those endeavours deviated from established peacekeeping principles. Uruguay’s representative pointed out that the current mandate overstepped the Council’s original intention. Although Ukraine had voted in favour of establishing MINUSMA in light of Mali’s unique situation, such an action should not be replicated in future peacekeeping mandates.
Speakers also called for greater urgency, citing the forthcoming 2018 elections and the rapidly approaching end of the Peace Agreement’s interim period. In that regard, Senegal’s representative said that with the end of the interim period approaching, the presence of MINUSMA and France’s Barkhane operation was reassuring and must be reinforced by the national army, he said, urging better training and equipment for the troops.
Japan’s representative emphasized that the Council must correctly assess the severity of the situation in Mali as MINUSMA’s mandate entered its final months, declaring: “The picture is not good.” In considering the mandate, the Council must also study closely how the proposed joint force would interact with MINUSMA, he said.
Members conveyed condolences to France and Mali, both of which had lost a number of peacekeepers in attacks or military operations during the past week.
Also speaking today were representatives of Sweden, China, Italy, Ethiopia, Egypt, United Kingdom, Bolivia, Kazakhstan and the United States.
The meeting began at 10:02 a.m. and ended at 11:58 a.m.
