Mali: Russia blocks a text extending UN sanctions
On Wednesday 30 August, Russia, a long-standing ally of Mali, vetoed a UN Security Council resolution extending the sanctions against Malians that threaten peace in the country and that the Malian junta had called for to be lifted. The resolution, which provided for a one-year extension of the sanctions regime put in place in 2017 against individuals endangering the 2015 peace agreement, and the mandate of the committee of experts responsible for monitoring them, received 13 votes in favour, one abstention (China) and one vote against (Russia).
These sanctions were put in place at the request of the Malian government at the time, before the arrival of the 2021 junta.
Russia agreed to extend the sanctions, but only one last time, and above all wanted to dissolve the committee of experts, whose objectivity it contests with Bamako.
Its resolution to this effect was rejected, with one vote in favour, one against and 13 abstentions.
Despite the fact that Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, in mid-August, in a letter to the Security Council, declared a termination of belligerence between the signatory movements, which means that the reasons justifying the maintenance of these sanctions are no longer valid, France, with its universal cynicism, is seeking to harm the Malians at all costs, and in turn the junta, in a report fabricated with the active complicity of this famous committee of experts, In a report fabricated with the active complicity of this famous committee of experts, it blames «violence against women perpetrated in a systematic and organised manner by the Malian armed forces and their foreign security partners», referring to members of the Russian group Wagner.
In other words, the Malian army is joining forces with members of the Wagner group to martyr women. For what purpose?
Once again, France has vented its hatred of Mali, for the simple reason that the country has now turned to Russia, with which it has signed several agreements, including the military agreement. And France is incapable of admitting this. This is regrettable.
Pedro Okalamar
