Secretary-General Welcomes Signing of Mali Agreement by Government, Armed Groups

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the signature of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali by the Government of Mali and the Plateforme coalition of armed groups in Bamako today.  He congratulates the parties and the Algeria-led Mediation Team for their efforts to produce this balanced text.

The Secretary-General notes that today’s signature by some of the parties is an important step on the path towards sustainable peace.  He conveys his sincere hope that other parties to the Algiers political process will adhere to the Agreement as soon as possible.  In this regard, he also welcomes the initialling of the Agreement by the Coordination coalition of armed groups on 14 May in Algiers.

The Secretary-General firmly believes that this Agreement is a strong basis on which to build a just and lasting peace in Mali.  He calls on the parties to keep the Agreement open to the adhesion of outstanding parties and to continue dialogue in view of securing the signature of all parties as soon as possible.

The Secretary-General further calls on the Mediation Team and the signatories of the Agreement to identify those provisions of the Agreement that are achievable pending a signature by all parties, and to prioritize those aspects which could help foster an environment conducive to the signature of all parties.

The Secretary-General reminds all parties that the ceasefire agreement of 23 May 2014 and the declarations of cessation of hostilities of 24 July 2014 and 19 February 2015 remain valid.  He urges the parties to honour their commitments in this regard.