皇冠体育app need for Mali's transitional authorities to deliver a timely return to constitutional rule
Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Mali.
Thank聽you Mr President. First let me thank you and the Permanent Representatives of France and Niger for leading our visit last weekend. I would also like to thank SRSG聽Wane, the two country teams and the Secretariat for their support. We are grateful to the government of Mali and Niger for their welcome.
聽 Last weekend we saw聽first hand聽the scale of the challenges facing Mali and the region.聽聽We聽met heroic UN staff in both countries.聽 We聽heard the commitment of civil society leaders聽- men and聽women 鈥� to聽national dialogue and peacebuilding, and the commitment of Mali鈥檚 neighbours to working together for the stability of the Sahel.聽But we received聽some worrying messages from Mali鈥檚 transitional authorities聽about their commitment to聽the transition,聽and on regional cooperation.聽聽
聽 皇冠体育app UK shares concerns聽at the lack of progress聽made by the transitional authorities in聽preparing for elections. 皇冠体育app UK聽supports聽the mediation efforts of聽ECOWAS聽and endorses their call聽for the transitional authorities to publish an election timetable without delay.聽聽
聽 We聽all聽recognise聽the need for reforms聽aimed at聽governance, security, and justice concerns.聽But聽the authorities聽should聽focus on聽those聽required聽for timely聽political聽transition.聽Broader reforms聽are聽the job of a聽democratically elected government. 聽 聽 皇冠体育app UK deeply concerned about聽increasing violence against civilians, restrictions聽on聽humanitarian access and continued allegations of human rights violations聽and abuses, including against children.聽皇冠体育appre must be聽an聽end聽to聽impunity for such acts.聽聽 聽 聽
皇冠体育app UK remains聽committed聽to聽doing what we can to help聽address these challenges. As part of MINUSMA,聽UK troops聽are demonstrating how strengthened civilian-military coordination and more proactive peacekeeping can provide better protection for communities聽in聽hard to reach聽areas.聽皇冠体育app UK鈥檚聽Long Range Reconnaissance Group has supported UN human rights teams to investigate abuses, enabled聽UN and聽Malian聽civilian聽officials to visit local communities, and piloted聽models for better intelligence gathering ahead of operations.聽聽
聽 MINUSMA alone cannot fix Mali鈥檚 problems, however, absent the right political environment.聽In the coming weeks, we聽should keep聽developments in Mali under close review, in the hope that the transitional authorities deliver聽a timely return to constitutional rule promised to ECOWAS and this Council. Should the authorities聽fail聽to do so there must be consequences.聽 As many said in the Council event yesterday, we should follow the relevant regional bodies 鈥� in this聽case ECOWAS.聽聽
聽 Mr President, in closing I would like to聽raise our聽concerns聽regarding the聽holds placed on the聽Mali聽Panel of Experts聽and聽a number of聽other聽panels. In the current context it is vital that the Mali sanctions committee and the Panel of Experts聽are able to聽operate without hindrance, to report on developments on the ground and inform Council decision making.
Thank you.