United Nations (New York), (Asian independent) A Chinese envoy on Friday called for national and international efforts to maintain the political stability in Mali.
For a long time, Mali has faced multiple challenges. To tackle them requires both the efforts of all parties in Mali and the support of the international community. The top priority now is to maintain the political stability of Mali and create conditions for the Malian people to cope with the challenges, said Zhang Jun, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
China supports the Malian government in advancing the political transition and restoring constitutional order in an orderly manner, and welcomes actions by Mali to strengthen unity through dialogue and enhance the inclusiveness of the government. At the same time, Mali’s political transition timetable must be in line with Mali’s reality, he told the Security Council.
China supports the continued mediation efforts by the African Union and the Economic Community of west African states, and encourages regional organizations to strengthen communication with the Malian authorities to build mutual trust, he said.
China is concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Mali. It is necessary to promote the implementation of the peace agreement and strive to achieve more results on issues such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; the redeployment of military forces; and the development zone for the northern regions, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Efforts must start from the political, economic, judicial, and social aspects to help Mali restore state authority throughout the country, reduce poverty, and remove the root causes of conflict,” Zhang added.
The international community and partner countries should continue to support Mali in fighting terrorism, maintaining stability, and protecting civilians. Relevant countries should enhance their communication and coordination with Mali in the reorganization and drawdown of military deployment in Mali so as to avoid any security vacuum that could have a negative effect, he said.
Since the beginning of this year, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali has faced a significant increase in security risks and has been frequently attacked by terrorist forces.
It is necessary to identify the weak links in the security and safety of peacekeepers and address the most challenging problems in this respect. Active steps and targeted measures should be taken to enhance situation awareness, protection of campsites, emergency response and rescue capabilities and to address the threat posed by improvised explosive devices, Zhang added.
