The United Nations recently assessed the status of its peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA. U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis Acting Deputy Representative to the United Nations “urge(d) the transition government of Mali to demonstrate immediate progress on the political transition, the implementation of the Algiers Accord, MINUSMA’s freedom of movement, and the mission’s ability to implement the entirety of its mandate – including human rights provisions.”
Ambassador DeLaurentis called it “unacceptable that the Malian authorities denied nearly 300 flight requests during the reporting period”:
“This threatens the safety and security of the peacekeepers serving in Mali and hinders their ability to implement their mandate. While we fully support MINUSMA’s efforts to resolve these restrictions, we emphasize the transition government’s obligations under its Status of Forces Agreement to ensure MINUSMA’s freedom of movement and access.”
Ambassador DeLaurentis expressed great concern over the Mali government’s decision to expel MINUSMA’s human rights chief:
“We condemn the continued obstruction of the UN’s human rights mandates in Mali and reject the assertion that human rights are being ‘politicized.’ This Council has mandated MINUSMA to report impartially on the human rights situation in Mali, and interference with its ability to carry out that mandate is unacceptable.”
“As we recognize the one-year anniversary of the civilian massacre in Moura,” said Ambassador DeLaurentis, “we are disappointed the UN has not released its report of the incident. The Malian people deserve an honest and transparent accounting of this incident.”
The United States is concerned by the postponement of the March 9 constitutional referendum, but it nonetheless commends the preparations and progress made by transition authorities on fulfilling an ambitious timeline for elections.
The United States offers its full support to MINUSMA and its UN partners as they provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to ensure that Malians can safely go to the polls and see constitutional rule restored.
MINUSMA’s success hinges on the full cooperation of the Malian authorities. It would be irresponsible of the Security Council to continue to deploy peacekeepers in conditions where they cannot succeed, declared Ambassador DeLaurentis. “We urge the Malian transition government to end its restrictions on MINUSMA and to demonstrate that it will carry out its political commitments.”
