The United Nations Security Council issued a Press Statement on January 10, 2013 regarding the deteriorating situation in Mali (SC/10878; AFR/2502).
The text of the Press Statement follows:
Security Council Press Statement on Mali
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Mohammad Masood Khan ( Pakistan):
The members of the Security Council express their grave concern over the reported military movements and attacks by terrorist and extremist groups in the north of Mali, in particular their capture of the city of Konna, near Mopti. This serious deterioration of the situation threatens even more the stability and integrity of Mali and constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security.
The members of the Security Council recall resolutions 2056 (2012), 2071 (2012) and 2085 (2012) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the urgent need to counter the increasing terrorist threat in Mali.
The members of the Security Council reiterate their call to Member States to assist the settlement of the crisis in Mali and, in particular, to provide assistance to the Malian Defence and Security Forces in order to reduce the threat posed by terrorist organizations and associated groups.
The members of the Security Council express their determination to pursue the full implementation of its resolutions on Mali, in particular resolution 2085 (2012) in all its dimensions. In this context, they call for a rapid deployment of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA).
The members of the Security Council call for the immediate issuance of an agreed political road map, which includes serious negotiations with non-extremist Malians in the north and presses for the full restoration of democratic governance.
The statement has no legal effect, and is in effect essentially meaningless.
The most recent action by the Security Council was the adoption of Resolution 2085 on December 20, 2012. That resolution, which appeared to be hurriedly cobbled together to meet a 45-day deadline contained in a previous Security Council resolution, had a confusing text, no clear lines of command and responsibity, and no clear timeline for international military action to be taken against the insurgents in northern Mali.
See The Trenchant Observer, “U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 2085 authorizing political, training and military action to restore control over North in Mali; confused resolution launches international bureaucratic and decision-making monstrosity,”
December 21, 2012.
For the latest news reports, see
Associated Press, Mali Seeks French Help Against Extremists,” NPR
News, January 10, 2012 (9:39 PM EST).Le Monde.fr avec AFP et Reuters. “Le Mali demande l’aide militaire de la France, Le Monde, 11 janvier 2013 (Mis à jour le 11.01.2013 à 08h19).
David Baché. “Mali : les combats reprennent entre l’armée et les islamistes,”
Le Figaro, 10 janvier 2013 (Mis à jour à 19:15).
The situation is complicated by demands to replace the government of transition in Mali, upon which the entire edifice of Security Council Resolution 2085 is based.
France is supposed to respond to the appeal for help from the government of Mali on Friday, January 11. It may be that France has the only military force capable of intervening quickly enough to halt the advance of the rebels from the North. Whether they will choose to do so is an open question.
The manifest defects in Resolution 2085 have now become evident for all to see, under the pressure of impending events. The talk at the time Resolution 2085 was passed was that military action should not be expected before September or October 2013.
The Security Council’s calls for others to act demonstrates how far removed the Security Council has moved from being able to take effective action itself to maintain international peace and security.
The Trenchant Observer