UN / MALI

The UN representative in Mali Mahamat Annadif said the country has witnessed tangible progress in the past months, but warned that positive developments risked “being annihilated” due to the tensions between the CMA and the Platform. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:47
• Production Date: 16 June 2017
• Asset Language: French
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED STABILIZATION MISSION IN MALI - MINUSMA
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY; PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
• Geographic Subject: MALI
• MAMS Id: 1911082
• Parent Id: 1911082
• Alternate Title: unifeed170616a

Description

STORY: UN / MALI
TRT: 01:47
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 16 JUNE 2017, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior

16 JUNE 2017, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, United Nations:
“All of these positive developments however risk being annihilated due to the tensions which have existed for some time between the CMA and the Platform and which have transformed into a communal conflict of which the civilian populations are the main victims. A severe warning by your Council should be addressed to the military and political leaders of those two movements so as to once and for all put an end to the murder of innocent and unarmed civilians.”
4. Med shot, Malian Foreign Minister
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, United Nations:
“We can never emphasize enough the fact that a lack of an escort and convoy battalion and the lack of both attack and utility helicopters are major obstacles.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mali:
“The adoption of this resolution will send a strong and unequivocal signal from the international community to terrorist groups and traffickers of all kinds and show its unanimous support for the efforts of States in the region which are facing a situation, as you are all aware, that threatens international peace and security.”
8. Zoom out, Security Council

Storyline

The UN representative in Mali Mahamat Annadif said the country has witnessed tangible progress in the past months, but warned that positive developments risked “being annihilated” due to the tensions between the Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) and the Platform.

Addressing the Security Council today (16 Jun), Annadif said progress was being made in implementing the Malian peace agreement signed two years ago as the Conference of National Harmony was held under good conditions and the charter for peace, unity, and reconciliation is currently being drafted. He said interim authorities were setup in the five regions, albeit their pact of work differs from one region to another, and the various operational coordination mechanisms and mixed patrols are on track as obstacles were now technical and no longer due to political deadlock. The Special Representative stressed that all these positive developments could be “annihilated” by existing tensions between the CMA and the Platform which have “transformed into a communal conflict of which the civilian populations are the main victims.” He called on the Council to send a “severe warning” to the military and political leaders of the two movements to “once and for all put an end to the murder of innocent and unarmed civilians.”

Annadif noted that the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) would strengthen its support to the implementation of the agreement, continue to support the international mediation, and strengthen its partnership with the Malian armed forces to enhance their capacity and their redeployment across the country.

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said the security situation in the Sahel region continued to deteriorate and was marked by the persistence of terrorist attacks, which are a main obstacle to the implementation of the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali. He said the establishment of the joint force to combat terrorism by the Sahel G-5 was a show for will by the leaders of these countries to pool their efforts and resources to meet the cross-border challenges. Diop called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution to immediately deploy the joint force adding that such a resolution would “send a strong and unequivocal signal from the international community to terrorist groups and traffickers of all kinds and show its unanimous support for the efforts of States in the region which are facing a situation, as you are all aware, that threatens international peace and security.”