UN / MALI

With a deteriorating security situation in central and northern Mali, the UN peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Tuesday that Blue Helmets, the Malian Defence and Security Forces, continue to suffer “repeated attacks and significant losses, while several regions and large towns live under constant threat from armed groups.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:11
• Production Date: 6 April 2021
• Asset Language: English; French
• Personal Subject: JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED STABILIZATION MISSION IN MALI - MINUSMA
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: MALI
• MAMS Id: 2611327
• Parent Id: 2611327
• Alternate Title: unifeed210406d

Description

STORY: UN / MALI
TRT: 2:11
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH /ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 6 APRIL 20201, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE

1. Exterior shot, UN Headquarters

6 APRIL 20201, NEW YORK CITY

2. Multiscreen, Security Council in virtual meeting
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“Au moment où nous nous réunissons, la dernière attaque majeure contre nos soldats de la paix, vendredi dernier a Aguelhok, nous rappelle les défis auxquels le Mali et la région du Sahel sont confrontés. Cette tragédie est, cependant, aussi, une illustration de la bravoure et de la détermination de nos soldats de la paix pour soutenir la population malienne.”
[“As we meet, the last major attack on our soldiers from the peace, last Friday, reminds us of the challenges facing Mali and the Sahel region. This tragedy is, however, also an illustration of the bravery and determination of our peacekeepers to support the Malian population.”]
4. Multiscreen, Security Council in virtual meeting
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“Cette attaque a eu lieu dans un contexte de détérioration de la situation sécuritaire dans le centre et le nord du Mali. Depuis le début de l'année, les troupes de la MINUSMA ainsi que les Forces de défense et de sécurité maliennes et bien eviadament aussi la population, ont subi des attaques répétées et d'importantes pertes, tandis que plusieurs régions et agglomérations vivent sous la menace permanente de groupes armés.”
[“This attack took place against a backdrop of a deteriorating security situation in central and northern Mali. Since the beginning of the year, MINUSMA troops as well as the Malian Defense and Security Forces and evidently also the population, have suffered repeated attacks and significant losses, while several regions and large towns live under constant threat from armed groups.”]
6. Multiscreen, Security Council in virtual meeting
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“As we mourn the deaths of our peacekeepers, I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call to concerned stakeholders to scale up and strengthen the international community’s response to the issue of terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel region, including by ensuring the swift implementation of the recommendations of the 2020 Pau and 2021 N’Djamena summits.”
8. Multiscreen, Security Council in virtual meeting
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“In addition to the threat posed by terrorist groups, I remain concerned about ongoing destabilizing activities of militias operating along ethnic lines in central Mali. Despite the encouraging improvements of the security situation in some areas across the region as a result of local peace agreements supported by MINUSMA, I call on the transitional Government of Mali to devise a comprehensive approach to improve the security situation in parallel to efforts to
protect civilians and restore State authority and basic social services.”
10.Multiscreen, Security Council in virtual meeting

Storyline

With a deteriorating security situation in central and northern Mali, the UN peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Tuesday (6 Apr) that Blue Helmets, the Malian Defence and Security Forces, continue to suffer “repeated attacks and significant losses, while several regions and large towns live under constant threat from armed groups.”

The head of UN Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, recalled that on Friday (2 Apr), heavily armed terrorists had attacked a UN peacekeeping mission’s (MINUSMA) camp in the Kidal region, killing four Chadian peacekeepers and wounding 34 others. He said the assault was a tragedy, and an “illustration of the bravery and determination of our peacekeepers to support the people of Mali.”

In addition to the terrorist threat, Lacroix expressed concern over the continuing “destabilizing activities of militias” operating along ethnic lines in the restive central region.

In a bid to that ensure militias and armed groups lay down their weapons and join the dialogue process, he called on the transitional Government to improve the security situation in parallel with protecting civilians and restoring State authority and basic social services. He maintained that the country’s long-term security hinges on the success of its fragile political transition.

The Malian Government has been seeking to restore stability and rebuild following a series of setbacks since early 2012, including a military coup d'état, renewed fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the seizure of its northern territory by radical extremists.

Among other things, the UN mission, considered to be the most dangerous UN operation to serve in, supports the implementation of a 2015 Peace Agreement signed by the authorities and two coalitions of armed groups.