Remarks by Ambassador Dai Bing at Security Council Briefing on MINUSMA |
2022-01-11 15:35 |
Madam President,
I wish to thank Special Representative El-Ghassim Wane for his briefing. I also listened attentively to Ms. Adam Dicko’s statement. I welcome the Permanent Representative of Mali, Ambassador Issa Konfourou, for his presence at the meeting.
At present, Mali is in a critical period of promoting political transition, maintaining security and stability, and promoting national development. A peaceful, stable and united Mali serves the common interests of regional countries and the international community. I wish to highlight the following.
First, Mali held a national reconstruction conference at the end of last year, and all parties reached a significant consensus on a series of major issues such as the transition process, political reform, national security and the peace agreement. The international community should support all parties in Mali in implementing the outcomes of conference, resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, and injecting new impetus into national peace and stability. The issue of political transition and general elections is currently the focus of attention. The promotion of the relevant process should be aimed at maintaining unity and stable development in Mali. The drawing-up of the relevant roadmap should respect the will of the Malian people, suit the actual situation in Mali, and avoid a new turmoil that might be caused by electoral arrangements. China has taken note of the decision taken by ECOWAS on January 9 and the reaction of the transitional government of Mali. China understands that the efforts of ECOWAS and the transitional government of Mali are in the same direction to create enabling conditions for the holding of general elections and ensure that they are conducive to the maintenance of peace and stability in Mali. China encourages the two sides to maintain contacts, strengthen dialogue, and jointly make efforts to resolve regional issues. At the same time, forces outside the region should avoid exerting excessive pressure on Mali, which will in no way contribute to political settlement.
Second, terrorist forces have frequently launched attacks in the central and northern regions and are spreading to the south, with clashes between armed groups, militias, extremist forces and so on. Mali is a significant force in the counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel region, and the international community should continue to support the Malian Government's efforts to fight terrorism and maintain stability, and respect Mali’s sovereignty and leadership in conducting foreign security cooperation. It is necessary to facilitate the implementation of the peace and reconciliation agreement, and achieve more results on issues such as DDR, the redeployment of armed forces, and the northern development. China supports Mali in developing a comprehensive, politically-based strategy in the central region and making more efforts to restore state power and reduce poverty to eliminate the root causes of conflict.
Third, China appreciates the leadership of Special Representative Wane in overcoming difficulties and actively propelling his mandate. MINUSMA is deployed in the most dangerous peacekeeping mission area. In 2021, as many as 19 peacekeepers from Cote d'Ivoire, Chad, Egypt, Togo, among other countries, have lost their lives, which is saddening. China expresses its condolences to relevant countries and the peacekeepers who have lost their lives. It is necessary to identify weak links, improve rescue and medical capabilities for peacekeepers, and use new technologies to strengthen situational awareness, improve emergency response, and effectively address the threat of IEDs. MINUSMA should allocate its resources and deploy personnel in accordance with the mandate of the Council, keep everything tailored to the actual situation on the ground, and respect Mali’s points of view, in readjusting their military deployments, the country concerned need to strengthen coordination and cooperation with MINUSMA to avoid additional burden on MINUSMA in fulfilling its mandate, and avoid causing negative impact on the safety of peacekeepers.
Thank you, Madam President. |