The situation in Mali - Security Council, 876…

The members of the Security Council consider the latest report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Mali (S/2020/952). It covers the major developments in Mali since June 2020. The situation in Mali deteriorated significantly amid widespread protests following the legislative elections of 29 March and 19 April 2020 and culminated in a coup d'état on 18 August and the detention of the former President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the former Prime Minister, Boubou Cisse, and other civilian and military officials. The President subsequently resigned and announced the dissolution of the government and the National Assembly. The political crisis led to a near standstill in the Implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. The situation in central Mali remained of serious concern. Self-defence militias and extremist groups continued to exploit conflicts across community lines, which resulted in continued violence against civilians and security incidents. The security situation remained of grave concern, as attacks by extremist groups on civilians and national and international security forces in northern and central Mali continued unabated. The human rights situation deteriorated, with violations and abuses linked to the spread of violent extremism, counter-terrorism operations and community-based violence, as well as acts of violence during anti-government demonstrations in Bamako. The number of judicial and prison officials deployed in the north and centre remained low, which had a negative impact on the functioning of the courts.. The humanitarian situation remained of serious concern, with COVID-19 compounding an already fragile situation. Insecurity continued to limit humanitarian access, but humanitarian actors continued trust-building efforts to improve their access to communities. The Government's ability to mobilize resources had diminished owing to the global economic recession as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and an expected reduction in the estimated national growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for 2020, from 5 per cent to 0.9 per cent.