Security Council 2374 Committee Meets to Hear Briefing by Its Chair on His Visit to Bamako, Mali, from 16 to 18 October 2019

On 27 November 2019, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2374 (2017) concerning Mali held informal consultations to hear a briefing by the Chair on his visit to Bamako, Mali, from 16 to 18 October 2019.

The visit was undertaken by the Chair to engage with the national authorities and to receive briefings on the political and security situation in Mali and the Sahel, including on the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.  The briefing was followed by an interactive discussion of Committee members on the recommendations contained in the Chair’s trip report.

During all of the Chair’s meetings with Malian parties, and as had been done during previous visits, the Chair stressed the shared sense of impatience expressed by the members of the Security Council regarding the persistent delays in the full implementation of key provisions of the Agreement.  He urged the signatory parties to speed up the implementation of the Agreement, and he reiterated that spoilers from all parties to the Agreement may be subjected to sanctions.

Moving forward, the Chair recommended that the Committee continue to closely monitor the situation in Mali, in particular during the national dialogue process.  He also emphasized the importance for the Committee to focus on cooperation with regional States.

The Chair underlined that during the visit, the delegation did not have the opportunity to meet with any ministerial‑level representatives of the Government of Mali.  At this important junction of the implementation of the Agreement, he said, it was critical for the Chair to have been able to meet with high‑level political decision makers.  The Chair added that it was a missed opportunity for high‑level Government officials to engage with the sanctions Committee on the challenges and the way forward for the Agreement.

Committee members welcomed the continued cooperation of the Government of Mali with the Committee and its Panel of Experts and hoped that this cooperation would be further strengthened.