Politics
We have got the African continent talking says African Union chief
What is your assessment of the situation in Mali?
Mali has gone a long way since I went there, about a year ago, in terms of having had the presidential election […]. Initially, the force beside the French was an African force that had a robust mandate, but the United Nations (UN) was quick to convert it into a UN peacekeeping force. Now that UN peacekeeping force’s mandate does not really allow them to get rid of the rebels and ensure that state authority is extended to every part of Mali.
How significant was the Force intervention Brigade in tackling the Mouvement du 23 Mars (m23) militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)?
That brigade was brought about [because the UN force did not have] a mandate to act [in the face of atrocities such as] women being raped. And this frustration was made worse by the M23 militia taking over Goma. With the discussion within the Great Lakes, within Southern African Development Community – the AU has been part of those discussions – it became clear that we needed something to assist the DRC forces to extend their security mandate to the rest of the country. I don’t think we are there yet, but I think it’s a good step to get the M23 to sign an agreement. So that brigade has been very significant.
Source: The Africa Report Copyright 2014
