S/PV.6846 Security Council

Under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Côte d’Ivoire and Mali to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2012/761, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France, Germany, India, Morocco, South Africa, Togo and the United Kingdom. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2071 (2012). I now give the floor to the representative of Mali.

Allow me at the outset to convey to you, Sir, my warm congratulations on Guatemala’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. At the same time, I commend your initiative to convene this meeting. The Security Council’s adoption on 5 July of resolution 2056 (2012) opened the way to prospects for a comprehensive solution to the dual political-institutional and security crisis in Mali. Since then, key developments have arisen, including the return to our country of the interim President of the Republic, followed by the implementation of a Government of national unity that has made the management of the crisis in northern Mali and the holding of free, transparent and democratic elections its priorities. A decisive phase was completed with the request of the Malian authorities at the highest levels to the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the President of the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the European Commission for their assistance in ensuring the political stability of our country and restoring its territorial integrity. Now is the time to commend the praiseworthy and tireless efforts of our partners and the international community in the context of accelerating the process under way. The high-level meeting on the Sahel, held on 26 September, fueled that dynamic. My country, Mali, underscores once again the importance and urgency of deploying an international military force under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter to support the defence and security forces of Mali in restoring territorial integrity, fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime, and restoring human rights in the northern regions under occupation. At the same time, in its search for a political solution to the security crisis in the northern regions of our country, the transitional Government vehemently reaffirms that Mali’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the secular nature of the State, are non-negotiable. Another important phase has also been closed this afternoon with the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2017 (2012), which Mali fully endorses. We thank all Council members that voted in favour of the resolution. My country reaffirms its full preparedness to cooperate with the Security Council, the African Union, ECOWAS, the European Union and all other partners in the framework of implementing the resolution that has just been adopted. In a few days, Bamako will host a ministerial meeting of the Follow-up and Support Group for Mali. The meeting will be marked by interaction between the Group and high-level Malian authorities on matters related to governance and transition, the restoration of State authority in the north, the convening of elections, support for post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding. Other matters on the agenda of that important meeting will include the stabilization of the Sahel region and humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons. Similarly, there will be exchanges on the strategic concept paper drafted by the African Union Commission. In conclusion, we dare to hope that the results of this important meeting will contribute to the strengthening of the initiatives under way, with a view to adopting a Security Council resolution as soon as possible authorizing the deployment of an international military force in Mali.

I now give the floor to the representative of Côte d’Ivoire.

Let me first congratulate you, Mr. President, on your leadership of the Council for this month. On behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and my own Government, allow me to express our gratitude to the Security Council for the opportunity given to us once more to express our concerns and commitment with regard to the crisis in Mali. I would also like to take this opportunity to convey the warmest congratulations of ECOWAS to the European Union for having been awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. Following the overwhelming consensus that emerged from the High-level Meeting on the Sahel, held in New York on 26 September, about the serious threat posed by the crisis in the north of Mali and the need for urgent and immediate action to deal with the situation, ECOWAS is pleased that the Council has unanimously adopted today resolution 2071 (2012), which we strongly believe is meant to pave the way for the next resolution by which the Council will be effectively authorizing the deployment of an international force in Mali under a Chapter VII mandate. Before elaborating any further, let me seize this opportunity to express the satisfaction and gratitude of ECOWAS towards the international community for the tremendous political support generated by the 26 September High-level Meeting on the Sahel, and we would like to underscore in particular the leadership demonstrated in that regard by the French President, His Excellency François Hollande, and his Government, whose strong and unequivocal commitment to resolute action to stop the crisis in Mali is highly commendable. In the same vein, ECOWAS appreciates the high priority that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gives to the issue of Mali and, in that context, we welcome the recent appointment by the Secretary-General of Prime Minister Romano Prodi as the Special Envoy for the Sahel, who should mobilize international efforts for the Sahel, coordinate the implementation of the United Nations integrated strategy on the Sahel and engage actively in defining the parameters of a comprehensive solution to the Malian crisis. ECOWAS is equally pleased with its close and constructive cooperation with the African Union on the issue of Mali, as illustrated by the Community’s letter dated 28 September 2012 addressed to the African Union, with a view to engaging with the African Union on fine-tuning the concept, modalities and means of deployment of the stabilization force in Mali. Since the adoption of resolution 2056 (2012), ECOWAS has, indeed, in coordination with the African Union, fulfilled most of the requirements outlined in that resolution, as is reflected in the outcome of the meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff, held in Abidjan from 14 to 15 September, and further validated by the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council at its meeting on 17 September in Abidjan. On 1 September, the Government of Mali addressed a request to ECOWAS to provide military assistance to reorganize the Armed Forces of Mali and restore territorial integrity in Mali, of which the north is occupied by terrorist groups, and combat terrorism. On 18 September, the Government of Mali addressed a letter to the Secretary-General requesting authorization for the deployment of an international military force to assist the Armed Forces of Mali, through a resolution of the Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, to recover the occupied region in the north of Mali. On 23 September, the Government of Mali addressed a letter to ECOWAS on the conditions for the deployment of a stabilization force in Mali. Lastly, on 28 September, the Government of Mali addressed a letter to the Secretary-General requesting a Security Council resolution authorizing the deployment of a stabilization force in Mali under Chapter VII of the Charter. While pressing for the deployment of troops in Mali, ECOWAS, as well as the African Union, has consistently believed that priority should be devoted to negotiations and political solutions, mindful of the fact that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Mali are non-negotiable. In that regard, the mediation effort carried out by His Excellency Mr. Blaise Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso, bears reasonable hopes and deserves the full support of the international community. In that context, ECOWAS and the African Union encourage the core countries, namely, Algeria and Mauritania, to work towards significant breakthroughs. ECOWAS and the African Union are equally convinced that the quest for a negotiated political solution to the crisis in Mali and preparations for military action to restore the territorial integrity of Mali are closely interlinked and that both go together, indeed, go hand in hand. As was echoed by all the speakers at the High-level Meeting on the Sahel, on 26 September, the situation in Mali is untenable. ECOWAS and the African Union strongly condemn the abuses of human rights committed in the north of Mali by armed rebel terrorists and other extremist groups, including violence against its civilians, notably women and children, killings, hostage-taking, pillaging, death, the destruction of cultural and religious sites and the recruitment of child soldiers. ECOWAS warns that some of those acts may amount to crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and that the perpetrators must be held accountable. In that regard, ECOWAS is comforted by the fact that the Government of Mali referred the situation in the north of Mali since January to the International Criminal Court on 18 July. ECOWAS is concerned by the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation, as flows of refugees continue to pour into the neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso, the Niger and Mauritania, as well as large numbers of internally displaced persons to Bamako, leading to serious humanitarian challenges. The longer the international community allows the situation to fester and the longer we allow the criminal and terrorist networks to consolidate their position, the more the people will suffer and the greater the danger to regional and international peace and security. Faced with that situation, we have high expectations for the upcoming meeting of the support and follow-up group on Mali, to be convened by the African Union, in consultation with the United Nations and ECOWAS, in Bamako on 19 October, which aims to clarify the modalities of international support to the Malian transitional authorities in resolving the crisis in the north of Mali. In the same vein, we equally expect a strong commitment from the outcome of the European Union Defence Ministers’ meeting on 15 October in Luxembourg to discuss options to support international efforts to assist Mali. The Council has adopted resolution 2071 (2012) against that backdrop. In that regard, ECOWAS strongly supports the request of the Council to the Secretary-General to immediately provide military and security planners to assist ECOWAS and the African Union, in close consultation with Mali, its neighbouring countries, countries of the region and all other interested bilateral partners and international organizations in a joint planning effort to respond to the requests of the traditional authorities of Mali for such an international military force. ECOWAS equally endorses the request of the Secretary-General, in close consultation with the aforementioned partners, to submit detailed and actionable recommendations to respond to the requests of the transitional authorities of Mali regarding an international military force, including the means and modalities of the envisaged deployment, in particular the concept of operations, force generation, capabilities, strength, support and financial cost. In conclusion, the clock is ticking, and every day that passes brings more suffering to the population trapped in the areas controlled by the terrorists carrying out all kinds of criminal activities in the north. ECOWAS is pleased with the resolution adopted today because it is timely and opens the door to a further resolution calling for concrete action. Indeed, in the situation regarding Mali, inaction is no longer an option.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.