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U.N. Mali Force to Start July 1 amid Fears over Heat, Election
 [An Nahar] A U.N. peacekeeping force will take charge of security in Mali from July 1 but plans to hold a presidential election next month face "major" obstacles, officials said Tuesday.The United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... also is worried about Mali's furnace-like temperatures melting equipment as it confronts one of its biggest logistical challenges in setting up the 12,600 strong force, which already faces key shortages. The U.N. Security Council met on the Mali conflict on Tuesday and Britannia's U.N. ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said there was "unanimous agreement" to deploy the U.N.'s third biggest peacekeeping operation. Mali has been in turmoil since March last year when Tuareg rebels and Islamist faceless myrmidons took over the north half of the country. French forces intervened in January to halt an advance by al-Qaeda linked faceless myrmidons on the capital. U.N. envoy to Mali Albert Koenders told the council that security though there are still festivities between rival Tuareg and Islamist groups and an "important" risk of guerrilla attacks on the U.N. force. French forces are to formally hand over security duties to the U.N. peacekeepers on Monday but at least 1,000 French troops will stay in the country for counter terrorism duties. The U.N. force, which will start with about 6,100 West African troops already in Mali, will take responsibility for securing a presidential election provisionally scheduled for July 28. But Koenders, speaking by videoconference from Bamako, said there would be "major challenges" to holding the election on time. Problems include maintaining a "broad political consensus" in support of the poll, delivering election materials around the country and getting voting cards to hundreds of thousands of displaced people and refugees. La Belle France's U.N. ambassador Gerard Araud said it was important for the election to be "credible" but said La Belle France wanted it held on time if possible. Koenders said that human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... in the country, particularly the northern regions that were under Islamist control, remains "precarious". He said U.N. teams sent to Timbuktu, Gao and other northern towns had registered violations by all sides. "These included disappearances, extra judicial executions, ill-treatment, looting of private property, illegal arrests and arbitrary detention," he said. The U.N. expects the peacekeeping force to be at full strength by the end of the year. U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said however that it would face "new and unique" challenges, including the threat of the guerrilla attacks. The United Nations has given the West African forces four months to get their equipment and training levels up to U.N. standards so they can be definitely integrated into the force. Posted by: Fred 2013-06-26 |
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