WUNRN
UN News Centre
MALI - SENIOR UN OFFICIAL CONDEMNS
ALARMING REPORTS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE
10 April 2012 – A
senior United Nations official today strongly condemned the reported acts of
sexual violence committed against Malian women and girls amid the renewed
fighting in the north, and called on all parties to respect their obligations
under human rights law.
“As unrest continues in northern
Ms. Wallström stressed that any party to the conflict credibly
suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other
forms of sexual violence can be publicly named and shamed by the
Secretary-General as a basis for Security Council action.
“Acts of conflict-related sexual violence can constitute war
crimes or crimes against humanity for which combatants and their commanders
will be held to account,” she said.
Last month, rebel Malian soldiers took control of the country
and announced the dissolution of the Government led by President Amadou Toumani
Toure. In addition, renewed fighting in northern
Ms. Wallström emphasized that any peaceful solution to the
conflict must include women and must address the crime of rape, as sexual
violence contributes to the destabilization of the region and the denial of
women’s rights.
Meanwhile, the Security Council has urged the military rebels
who seized control of the government to immediately implement the agreement
they signed last week with the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), which provides a series of steps to restore constitutional order in
the country.
In a statement
issued to the press last night, Council members reaffirmed “the need to uphold
and respect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of
The Council also condemned all violence against humanitarian
workers after it was reported that seven Algerian diplomats were abducted in
the town of
In addition, the Council reaffirmed its support to the efforts
made by ECOWAS and its mediator, the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise
Compaoré, as well as by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
West Africa, Said Djinnit, and by the African Union, to initiate concrete steps
to restore peace and security and protect the sovereignty of
The members of the Council reiterated their serious concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, and expressed deep concern at the increased terrorist threat in the northern part of the country due to the presence among the rebels of members of the terrorist group Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and extremist elements. ___________________________________________________________
Amnesty International Full Press Release:
MALI - AID AGENCIES MUST HAVE SAFE
ACCESS TO NORTH
April 5, 2012 - Northern Mali is on
the brink of a major humanitarian disaster and aid agencies must be allowed
immediate access to avoid further civilian deaths, Amnesty International said
today.......“All
the food and medicine stored by major aid agencies has been looted and most of
the aid workers have fled,” said Gaëtan Mootoo, Amnesty International’s
researcher on West Africa. “The population is at imminent risk of severe food
and medical shortages that could lead to many casualties especially among women
and children who are less able to fend for themselves.”.......
“Women and girls particularly are too terrified to leave their homes. People are describing an atmosphere of near total lawlessness,” said Mootoo.
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