Security Council Briefing on Mali - Statement by El-Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, 13 June 2022

13 Jun 2022

Security Council Briefing on Mali - Statement by El-Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, 13 June 2022

Monsieur le Président,

Merci de cette opportunité de pouvoir entretenir le Conseil de sécurité des développements survenus au Mali en rapport avec le rapport du Secrétaire général qui a été publié récemment, et ce dans le contexte des discussions sur le renouvellement du mandat de la MINUSMA.

Au cours des trois derniers mois, la Mission a continué à mettre en œuvre son mandat, sur la base de de ses trois priorités stratégiques. Je vais débuter par une mise à jour sur l’appui de la MINUSMA à la Transition.

Depuis janvier, la MINUSMA, notamment dans le cadre du Comité local de suivi, est restée activement impliquée dans les efforts visant à surmonter l’impasse liée à la durée de la transition. Le 4 juin, à Accra, la Conférence des chefs d'Etat et de Gouvernement de la CEDEAO a, encore une fois, examiné la situation. Les délibérations ont eu lieu à la lumière du rapport présenté par le Médiateur, l’ancien Président Goodluck Jonathan, à la suite de ses échanges avec le Président de la Transition, la veille du Sommet, sur comment concilier la demande malienne d’une extension de 24 mois et les positions de l'organisation régionale.

Après des discussions approfondies, le Sommet a demandé au Médiateur de poursuivre le dialogue pour parvenir à un accord d’ici à son Sommet ordinaire le 3 juillet. Subséquemment, le Président de la Transition a pris deux décrets, respectivement les 6 et 10 juin, formalisant une extension de 24 mois de la transition à partir du 26 mars 2022 et établissant une commission de rédaction d’un avant-projet de Constitution qui doit finaliser son travail dans un délai de deux mois. L’adoption du projet de loi électorale, un processus qui bénéficie d’un appui significatif de la part de la MINUSMA, est prévue au cours de ce mois; celle-ci permettra de jeter les bases de l’opérationnalisation de l’organe indépendant unique de gestion des élections.

Au cours de la période à venir, la MINUSMA va poursuivre ses efforts en appui à une sortie consensuelle de la crise, y compris en apportant, en tant que de besoin, son concours à l’élaboration d’un chronogramme électoral détaillé, à la mise en place d’un mécanisme de suivi robuste, et à la création d’une atmosphère propice à la tenue d’élections libres, régulières et crédibles. Je voudrais profiter de l’occasion pour saluer l’engagement soutenu de la CEDEAO en appui à une transition réussie au Mali.

Monsieur le Président,

L’incertitude prolongée entourant la durée de la Transition a rendu plus difficile la réalisation d’avancées dans d’autres domaines, laissant une faible marge de manœuvre politique pour un engagement soutenu en faveur de la mise en œuvre de l’Accord pour la paix et la réconciliation de 2015. Il importe ici de ne pas perdre de vue le fait que certaines des réformes cruciales envisagées dans le cadre du processus de paix dépendent de la conduite réussie de la Transition.

Au cours de la période sous examen, les efforts pour faire avancer le processus de paix ont été davantage compliqués par le manque de confiance entre les parties signataires, des querelles autours de questions importantes certes mais pas déterminantes et la paralysie de facto du Comité de suivi de l’Accord, qui ne s’est pas réuni depuis octobre de l’année dernière, privant les parties et leurs partenaires d’un forum de discussion structuré pour aborder les défis et trouver des solutions.

Dans ce contexte, la MINUSMA et l’Algérie, en tant que Chef de file de la Médiation internationale, ont mené des efforts soutenus pour encourager la mise en œuvre effective de l’accord de paix, notamment à travers la tenue de plusieurs rencontres de la Médiation et une interaction continue avec les parties. De manière plus spécifique, l’accent a été mis et continue d’être mis sur l’organisation de la réunion décisionnelle de haut niveau convenue par les parties il y a de cela neuf mois, avec pour objectif la finalisation des détails du DDR global sur la base de l’offre du Gouvernement d’intégrer un total de 26 000 combattants dans les structures de l’Etat, et de s’accorder sur les grandes lignes des réformes institutionnelles nécessaires à la mise en œuvre complète de l’Accord de paix. La Mission appuie pleinement la préparation de cette réunion, et je forme l’espoir de voir les parties réaliser les avancées longtemps attendues dans le cadre du processus de paix.

Mr. President,

The security situation remains volatile and is of particular concern along the tri-border area and in the Centre.

Since the beginning of this year, we have seen a deterioration in the Liptako- Gourma tri-border area with consequent effects on the Menaka and Gao regions. Attacks by ISGS in the Menaka region have killed hundreds and displaced thousands of civilians. While these developments have links to local trafficking dynamics, they are also taking place against the backdrop of the redeployment of Barkhane and Takuba forces from Mali.

I was in Menaka two weeks ago and saw first-hand the impact of this developing situation. My interlocutors did not rule out an attack on Menaka town where 5,000 IDPs have sheltered. Should this scenario come to pass, the MINUSMA base is likely to be perceived as the last haven for civilians fleeing violence. With minimal Malian forces in the area and some 600 peacekeepers available to protect civilians, UN personnel and assets, MINUSMA’s ability to mount an effective response is limited. We are making contingency plans to temporarily enhance our presence through the relocation of additional troops and capabilities, as well as redistributing tasks to increase situational awareness and better protect civilians.

Our ability to quickly reorient to respond to the threat in Menaka is one example of how the Force has become more proactive in its operations. Other examples include the prioritization of the protection of civilians through long-range patrols for example in Tessit and Talataye in the Gao region; establishment of temporary operating bases in Ansongo and Ogossagou, in the Gao and Mopti regions, respectively; and the deployment of quick reaction forces and patrols along main roads and supply routes, to ensure freedom of movement and deter terrorist attacks on key infrastructure, including bridges. Here, I would like to honour the memory of all the peacekeepers who have lost their lives since the inception of the Mission. Their ultimate sacrifice illustrates the challenges and complexities we face and further underscores the need to ensure that the Mission has the requisite capabilities, including armed and utility helicopters.

In the Centre, insecurity continues to be driven by a combination of intercommunal conflicts, long-standing governance issues and activity by violent extremists, targeting civilians and their livelihoods, as well as attacks against the Malian defense and security forces and MINUSMA.

To address this situation, the Malian army has, since late December, significantly stepped up its military campaign, with the aim of stabilizing the region, which hosts over 30 per cent of the Malian population. While there has been undeniable improvement in some areas and a concomitant weakening of the extremist groups, the latter still continues to conduct frequent attacks against Malian and MINUSMA forces as well as civilians suspected of collaborating with Malian forces.

Going forward, the success of the Malian-led operations will hinge on two critical factors:

First, these operations must be anchored in a comprehensive approach that addresses the institutional, governance and socio-economic challenges which provide fertile ground for the spread of violent extremism. In this respect, progress has been made towards developing a politically led strategy. MINUSMA is providing a multifaceted support to this process, while pursuing its efforts to foster local reconciliation, facilitate the extension of State authority and the delivery of basic services. In conjunction with the country team, we are also taking steps to align our activities on the Strategy once formally adopted.

Second, military operations must be undertaken with due regard for human rights and international humanitarian law. This is not only a matter of ethics but also operational efficacy, for the support of the populations is a sine qua non for the success of counter insurgency. And here I note with concern the fact that some of the operations conducted during the period under review were marred by allegations of human rights violations.

Overall, and based on our investigations, from January to March 2022, there was a sharp increase in human rights abuses compared to the previous quarter, resulting in the killing of 543 people as opposed to 128 during the period October to December last year. The list of presumed perpetrators of human rights abuses continues to be led by extremist groups but has unfortunately seen a significant rise in violations associated with operations by Malian security forces in central Mali.

In this context, we will continue to give utmost attention to the monitoring of the human rights situation and reporting on violations. Similarly, we will sustain dialogue with the Malian authorities and enhance capacity building support and training to the defense and security forces. In this regard, in 2021, the Mission delivered 122 training sessions for the benefit of 3269 Malian Defense and Security Forces.

Mr. President,

The prevailing security environment has compounded the humanitarian situation in the country. In 2022, 7.5 million persons will require humanitarian assistance, compared to 5.9 million in 2021. The total number of internally displaced persons stands at 370,000 and more than 1.8 million people will be in immediate need of food assistance by August, the highest level recorded since 2014. The commendable efforts of the humanitarian actors to meet these needs are unfortunately hampered by the lack of adequate funding. So far, only 11.1 per cent of the USD $686 million requested for 2022 have been mobilized.

Mr. President,

In view of the challenges highlighted above, I would like to echo the Secretary-General’s acknowledgement of the need for MINUSMA’s continued presence and recommendation on the extension of its mandate for another year. We will take advantage of the envisaged review to come up with proposals on how best MINUSMA can continue to deliver on its priorities in Mali and assess the level of cooperation between the authorities and the Mission. This last point is important, as in recent months MINUSMA has experienced restrictions to its ground and air operations as well as significant delays to the rotation of uniformed personnel from west Africa. I cannot emphasize enough how critical freedom of movement is to the achievement of the desired level of efficacy. We will continue working with our Malian partners on this issue.

While the challenges in Mali are numerous and complex, they are far from being insurmountable. If anything, the Malian people, as demonstrated during the Assises nationales de la refondation, harbor a deep aspiration for reform, transparent governance, and accountability. These aspirations and the forces driving them, including civil society, have shown great resilience and deserve the full support of the international community.

Thank you, Mr. President.