PRESS RELEASE : UK urges Malian authorities to uphold responsibilities and allow the UN Mission to fulfil its mandate – UK statement at the Security Council [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 June 2023.
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Mali.
Thank you, President. And thank you SRSG Wane for your briefing. I welcome the participation of Foreign Minister Diop in our meeting today. I want to underline our unwavering support for the hard work and courage of MINUSMA’s peacekeepers and other UN staff. On behalf of the United Kingdom, I pay tribute to the two Burkinabe peacekeepers killed and the seven injured in the recent attack in Timbuktu region.
President, no one can deny the scale of the challenges facing the Malian people. Severe security and humanitarian threats. Political instability. A fragile Peace Agreement.
Malian civilians, and armed forces, have paid a heavy price.
Through MINUSMA, and other UN agencies – as well as bilateral security, development and humanitarian efforts – we have made huge investments in pursuit of the stable, prosperous, democratic society the Malian people deserve. This has come at great cost over the past decade. Not just financial, but also in terms of human lives, many of them UN peacekeepers.
MINUSMA still has an important role to play in supporting the Malian people. Following the Secretary-General’s review, we stand ready to adapt the mission to improve its impact. But for the Mission to function properly, the four parameters set out in the review must be met.
These parameters are not unreasonable. They are not imposed upon Mali from outside. They are commitments that have been made by the Malian transitional authorities. To their people, their neighbours and to the international community. To deliver a timely political transition; to implement the Peace Agreement; to uphold UN freedom of movement in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement, and to respect the mandate set by this Council.
So against the four parameters, first, we urge progress on a timely and peaceful transition to constitutional order by March 2024. We call for the full participation of civil society in this Sunday’s constitutional referendum and in presidential elections next February.
Second, urgent efforts are needed to revive dialogue between the signatories to Mali’s faltering Peace Agreement, building on the International Mediation proposals.
Third, restrictions on MINUSMA’s movements – on which there has been no improvement – need to be lifted.
Fourth, obstruction of MINUSMA’s mandated human rights tasks must end. The tragic massacre in Moura of over 500 people by Malian forces and the Wagner Group is deeply concerning. There must be accountability for these crimes. MINUSMA must be allowed to fulfil its human rights mandate without fear of reprisals. Ultimately it is for the Malian transitional authorities to choose its partners. But let’s be clear: the Wagner Group, whether operating autonomously or under direct control from Moscow, is not the answer – in Mali or anywhere else.
President, the United Kingdom – with most members of this Council – remains committed to supporting MINUSMA’s efforts to help build the future Mali’s people deserve. We sincerely hope the Malian transitional authorities will live up to their responsibilities and allow the UN Mission to fulfil its mandate.
This is a choice only they can make.
Thank you.
