Burkina Faso- Mali: The Burkinabe Government’s statement in response to a damning UN report against Malian forces.
The statement of the Government of Burkina Faso in response to a damning UN report against Malian Forces.
The Government of Burkina Faso is witness to the fierce fight that the Transitional Government and the sovereign people of Mali led against armed terrorist groups. The barbarism and treachery of these groups are matched only by their morbid desire to sow chaos through the massacre, rape, and pillaging of peaceful populations.
In order to curb the terrorist and violent activities of these lawless individuals, the Malian Armed Forces successfully carried out a large-scale military operation in the locality of Moura in March 2022. This operation dealt a severe blow to these disciples of the apocalypse by neutralizing dozens of terrorists.
The Government of Burkina Faso expresses surprise at the content of the «Report on the events in Moura from 27 to 31 March 2022» by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which was made public on 12 May 2023.
It also expresses its incomprehension regarding the conclusions of the said report. The government extends its solidarity to the brotherly Government and People of Mali, as well as to all the combatant forces engaged in the fight against evil forces, who have been unjustly implicated in alleged human rights violations.
The Government of Burkina Faso has consistently reiterated that the heinous violence and the denial of all humanity are perpetrated against innocent Sahelian populations by bloodthirsty terrorist hordes driven by greed, power, and wealth.
It raises questions about this selective approach to human rights, which displays a suspicious complacency towards the atrocities committed by these very terrorist groups, while absolving the international community of its duty to show solidarity towards the people of the Sahel, who are violated and martyred on the land of their ancestors, as they simply aspire to live in freedom, dignity, and peace.
Is it still necessary to recall that the origins of terrorism in the Sahel can mainly be traced back to the destabilization of Libya in 2011, which was carried out with impunity and in disregard of international law, resulting in the volatile security situation we are witnessing across the Sahel-Saharan region?
The duty of solidarity we are talking about today is not an act of charity but a matter of responsibility for the atrocious suffering endured by the people of the Sahel and the descent into hell inflicted upon millions of individuals who once lived in peace and security.
The Government of Burkina Faso reaffirms its commitment to stand by the side of the Malian Transitional Government, the brotherly People of Mali, the Peoples of the Sahel and all fighters for freedom and human dignity in the collective struggle we are waging for the preservation of life, dignity, freedom and coexistence in a rediscovered and shared peace for all Sahelian people
Government Spokesperson
Rimtalba Jean-Emmanuel Ouédraogo
Ouagadougou, May 15, 2023.
