News
Mali: UN chief proposes African Union peacekeepers
U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed a U.N. peacekeeping force for Mali with 11,200 troops working alongside a non-U.N. force that would conduct major combat and counter-terrorism operations against Islamic extremists Tuesday as one option to maintain security.
The U.N. chief said in a report to the Security Council that another option would be to strengthen the U.N.’s new political mission in Mali and give the African-led force in Mali known as AFISMA, responsibility for security and offensive combat operations, as a prelude to a U.N. stabilization mission.
Mali was plunged into turmoil after a coup in March 2012 created a security vacuum. That allowed secular rebel Tuaregs, who have long felt marginalized by Mali’s government, to take half of the north as a new homeland. But months later, the rebels were kicked out by al-Qaeda linked Islamic jihadists who imposed strict Shariah law in the north, including amputations for theft.
Unplanned military action in the past two months has forced the Security Council to revamp the two-track plan it adopted in December to reunify the country. The council had authorized African-Union forces (AFISMA) to support Malian authorities in recovering the north alongside a political process promoting reconciliation and leading to elections.
In Tuesday’s report, the secretary-general said that in response to a council request he was presenting two options for a possible U.N. peace and security presence in Mali that take into account “the fact that the United Nations is operating in a new geopolitical context and faces threats that have not been encountered before in a peacekeeping context.”
“The situation on the ground remains fluid,” Ban stressed. “Although the extremists and criminal elements have been dealt a heavy blow, they continue to pose a significant threat to the safety and security of the civilian population and any United Nations personnel deployed in Mali.”
Ban said that under the option that would give AFISMA a combat role and expand the U.N. political mission, the United Nations would work with the African Union and others to rapidly build up and improve the operational capabilities of the African force.
