5 Jul 2012

UN / MALI

The Security Council passed a resolution in support West African mediation efforts in Mali, but did not specifically approve any military intervention. UNTV

Posted at: July 5, 2012 3:54 pm

Duration: 02:20

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: UN / MALI
TRT: 2.20
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 5 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

5 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Pan right, Security Council vote
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission (ECOWAS):
"Every hour that passes carries obvious risks of a worsening of the political, humanitarian and security situation in Mali. The situation is worsening from day to day with, including the impasse over the constitutional crisis in Bamako and the worsening of the humanitarian and security situation in the northern part of the country characterized by serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the desecration of the holy places, the destruction of the cultural heritage, the proliferation of weapons and the stronger presence of terrorists and jihadist movements which repelled the MNLA in the occupied territories."
5. Med shot, delegates
6. Wide shot, Ambassador Nestor Osorio of Colombia walks up to the stakeout position

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

7. Close up, reporter's notepad

5 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nestor Osorio, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations:
"The main purpose of this resolution is to support the mediation efforts of ECOWAS both to solve the crisis resulting from the coup-d'état of March 21st and to achieve a negotiated political solution with the armed groups in the North who made the declaration of so-called independence of North Mali. So the Council reiterates that it considers such announcement as null and of no value."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

9. Close up, reporter's notepad

5 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

10. Wide shot, Ambassador Gérard Araud of France walks up to the stakeout position

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

11. Close up, reporter's notepad

5 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations:
"The UN Security Council of course, we are not going to give a carte blanche to ECOWAS to whatever ECOWAS is going to do, but first we have to get the concept of operation and the political strategy of ECOWAS. This resolution is the evidence that we are going to greet it in a very positive manner. We have expressed our strong political will to support the ECOWAS, but again, the initiative has to come from our African friends."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

13. Close up, reporter's notepad

5 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

14. Wide shot, Ambassador Gérard Araud of France walks away from the stakeout position

STORYLINE:

The Security Council today (5 July) unanimously approved a resolution condemning the desecration of the tombs of Muslim saints in Northern Mali by Jihadist groups.

There have been reports of the destruction of three sacred tombs – the Mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar and Alpha Moya – in Timbuktu, spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The resolution does not for the moment give the green light for the deployment of a West African force in northern Mali, under rebel control, as requested by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, told the Council that "every hour that passes carries obvious risks of a worsening of the political, humanitarian and security situation in Mali."

He said that the issues of concern include "serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the desecration of the holy places, the destruction of the cultural heritage, the proliferation of weapons and the stronger presence of terrorists and jihadist movements."

The President of the Security Council, Ambassador Nestor Osorio of Colombia, told reporters outside the Council that the main purpose of the resolution was to "support the mediation efforts of ECOWAS" in resolving the political crisis, including how to deal with the declaration "of so-called independence of North Mali."

Osorio said that the Council "considers such announcement as null and of no value."

The resolution "noted" the request by the ECOWAS and asked that the West African States provide more information about the proposed force.

French Ambassador Gérard Araud, also speaking to reporters, said that the Council is "not going to give a carte blanche to ECOWAS to whatever ECOWAS is going to do, but first we have to get the concept of operation and the political strategy of ECOWAS."

Nevertheless, he pointed out that "this resolution is the evidence that we are going to greet it in a very positive manner" and added that while the Council has expressed a "strong political will" in support of ECOWAS, "the initiative has to come from our African friends."

Fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels resumed in northern Mali in January. The instability and insecurity resulting from the renewed clashes, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region, and a deepening crisis due to a coup d'état in March, have uprooted nearly 320,000 people, with many of them fleeing to neighbouring countries.

Filed under MALI .