The UN Security Council approved a resolution on Friday that presses West African nations to speed up preparations for an international military intervention aimed at re-conquering northern Mali.
The text unanimously approved by the council also urges authorities in Bamako and representatives of “Malian rebel groups” controlling the north to “engage, as soon as possible, in a credible negotiation process.”
The council members said that the process should be undertaken with a view toward “a sustainable political solution, mindful of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali.”
In March, military putschists seized power in the capital, Bamako, ousting Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure, only to see the north and east fall to Tuareg rebels and militias linked to al-Qaeda.
“There is a feeling that it is a dire situation in northern Mali and we need prompt action,” said Guatemalan UN envoy Gert Rosenthal, who holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month.
“But it is a very complex operation ... this will be the first step towards something more robust, I hope,” he added.
The council asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to work with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the AU to submit to the council within 45 days “detailed and actionable recommendations” in preparation for the deployment of an international military force in Mali.
A first draft of the resolution called for a 30-day timetable, but 45 days was later deemed to be more realistic.
The plan should include “means and modalities of the envisaged deployment, in particular the concept of operations,” personnel needed and a cost estimate, said the text, which was mainly drafted by France.
The UN is to provide “military and security planners” to ECOWAS and the AU to assist with the preparations, the resolution said.
After details for military intervention are submitted, the 15-member council would still have to pass a second resolution to give the green light to the deployment. That is not expected to happen before the end of the year.
French President Francois Hollande said the resolution was not just about facilitating a military intervention, but had a political component as well, with armed groups urged to halt attacks and join reconciliation efforts.
“The international community as a whole will stand side-by-side with Mali in this effort” to reconquer the north, Hollande said in a statement issued while the French leader was in Senegal.
“It is now up to the Africans, through the work of ECOWAS and the African Union, to finalize their response to the Malian government’s call for help,” Hollande said.
The US Department of State welcomed the adoption of the resolution, with spokeswoman Victoria Nuland calling it a “comprehensive approach to the overlapping governance, security and humanitarian crises affecting Mali.”
In the resolution, the council stated its “readiness” to respond to Mali’s requests, while calling for “coordinated assistance, expertise, training and capacity-building support” to Mali’s armed forces.
The country’s military has been devastated by the coup and the quick takeover of the north.
The EU hopes to quickly dispatch 150 military trainers to Mali. The issue is to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg tomorrow.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS