The UN Security Council on Wednesday June 30 renewed the mandate of Minusma for one year. No big change for the peacekeeping force, but the UN will have to publish a study by January to assess the mission and its needs, in the context of the transitional government and the departure of French and European forces. If Paris has abandoned the reassurance flights to Minusma, the litigation of the negotiation has focused on the mentions of human rights.
With our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nooten
It’s a reappointment which was a real balancing act. Because Bamako got the maintenance of the UN forcethe abandonment of French support flights to Minusma, and the non-direct stigmatization Wagner mercenaries in the text. And despite this, Mali still said it was dissatisfied with the final resolution after the vote: the capital announced that it would not shirk it.
All this in the name of territorial integrity: there is no question for Mali that the Minusma forces have freedom of movement or freedom to investigate on the abuses committed – this will have to be done with the prior agreement of the Malian government, insisted the representative of Bamako.
In support, Russia and China had abstained from voting for renewal minutes earlier and defended the Malian position throughout the negotiation against the United States and Britain.
For this Western bloc, it is complicated to finance a peacekeeping force in Mali without the human rights criteria, defined by the UN, being respected. They obtained the inclusion in the text of a quarterly report of the Minusma on the issue. This should crystallize the positions in the months to come.
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