UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council on Thursday
authorized military action to wrest northern Mali from the control of
al-Qaeda-linked extremists but demanded progress first on political
reconciliation, elections and training African troops and police.
A
resolution adopted unanimously by the U.N.'s most powerful body
stressed that there must be a two-track plan, political and military, to
reunify the country, which has been in turmoil since a coup in March.
The
Security Council authorized an African-led force to support Malian
authorities in recovering the north - an area the size of Texas - but
set no timeline for military action. Instead, it set out benchmarks to
be met before the start of offensive operations, beginning with progress
on a political roadmap to restore constitutional order.
The
resolution also emphasizes that further military planning is needed
before the African-led force is sent to the north and asks
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to "confirm in advance the council's
satisfaction with the planned military offensive operation."
U.N.
peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said recently he does not expect a
military operation to begin until September or October of next year.
France's
U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters Thursday it's premature to
say when the military operation will take place because African and
Malian troops must be trained and much depends on the political process
and the country's extreme weather.
"Our goal would be to have a
real political process which will allow the Malian army to go back to
its barracks in the northern part of the country without fighting," he
said. "That would be our preferred option."
Mali was plunged into
turmoil after a coup in March created a security vacuum. That allowed
the secular Tuaregs, who have long felt marginalized by Mali's
government, to take half the north as a new homeland. But months later,
the rebels were kicked out by Islamist groups allied with al-Qaeda,
which have now imposed strict Shariah law in the north.
Many
residents of northern Mali have expressed deep dismay at the timetable
for the intervention, saying that the longer the world waits, the more
entrenched the militants are becoming.
El Hadji Baba Haidara, a
member of the Malian parliament for the northern city of Timbuktu,
welcomed the resolution "in the hope of seeing our cities liberated as
soon as possible."
"If we have wished for this resolution, it's
not to wipe out our people with soldiers but rather to drive out the
armed groups who occupy our towns," he said.
Timbuktu's Mayor
Ousmane Halle said Wednesday in a telephone interview that he feels
abandoned by the West, and that only people who are not living through
what he and his citizens are living through could consider holding off
military action until next fall. "A living hell," he said.
Coup
members created new political turmoil earlier this month when they
arrested the country's prime minister - a move that raised new concerns
about the ability of the Malian military to take part in the operation
to retake the north. The Security Council strongly condemned the Malian
security forces for their continued interference in the work of the
transitional authorities, and stressed the need to expeditiously restore
democratic governance and constitutional order.
As the council
spent months negotiating over what action to take, an Islamist group
behind public executions and amputations in northern Mali, Ansar Dine,
or "Defenders of the Faith," has expanded its reach. The fighters, whose
territory includes Timbuktu, have stoned to death a couple accused of
adultery, hacked off the hands of thieves and have recruited children as
young as 12 into their ranks. Heavily armed men also have attacked bars
that sell alcohol, and banned men and women from socializing in the
streets.
Ansar Dine has been attracting new members because it is
now seen as the only Islamist group in the north that can be brought to
the negotiating table, analysts say. That's in part because their
leaders are all Malian nationals who own property in north Mali and
stand to lose the most if an international military operation succeeds.
On
Nov. 13, the African Union asked the Security Council to endorse a
military intervention to free northern Mali. The plan, agreed to by
leaders of the West African bloc known as ECOWAS, called for 3,300
soldiers to be deployed to Mali for an initial period of one year.
The
resolution authorizes an African-led International Support Mission in
Mali, to be known as AFISMA, for an initial period of one year but makes
no mention of its size. It welcomes troop contributions pledged by
ECOWAS and calls on member states, including from the neighboring Sahel
region, to contribute troops to the mission. Council diplomats say the
best-trained African troops in desert warfare are from Chad, Mauritania
and Niger.
Mali's Foreign Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly called
the resolution "a historic step," adding that his government "commits
itself fully" to fulfilling its obligations under the resolution.
Yossoufou
Bamba, speaking on behalf of ECOWAS, said the resolution "meets the
expectations of all the African continent" and responds to the danger
posed by the increasing presence of terrorist groups in the north. The
African Union's U.N. envoy Tete Antonio called the adoption "a major
step forward."
The final draft was a compromise between France
which was pressing for authorization and the United States, which
questioned the readiness of troops from Mali and ECOWAS to fight in the
desert. It wanted the mission to be authorized initially to train the
Malian army and police and then to help recover the north.
The
resolution stresses the importance of reconciliation, urging the
transitional authorities to finalize a transitional roadmap to restore
constitutional order, including holding elections by April "or as soon
as technically possible."
The council asked the secretary-general
to provide support in critical areas to help the Malian government
extend its authority during or following a military operation, including
in the rule of law, removing land mines and promoting national dialogue
and regional cooperation.
The Security Council expressed its
readiness to consider "appropriate measures," which could include
sanctions, against those whose actions undermine peace, stability and
security, "including those who prevent the implementation of the
constitutional order in Mali." It also reiterated its readiness to
impose additional targeted sanctions against rebel groups and
individuals that don't cut ties to al-Qaeda and its affiliates,
including al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb and the Movement of Unity and
Jihad in Western Africa.
As for funding, the resolution asks the
secretary-general to set up a trust fund to support the operation and
calls on member states and international organizations to provide
financial support to enable its deployment. The council also expressed
its intention to consider providing "a voluntary and a United
Nations-funded logistics support packages to AFISMA, including equipment
and services for an initial period of one year."
Associated Press