8 Aug 2012

UN / MALI

Addressing the "deeply troubling situation" in Mali, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today encouraged the Security Council to consider taking more action – such as travel and financial sanctions – against those responsible. UNTV

Posted at: August 8, 2012 2:05 pm

Duration: 02:35

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: UN / MALI
TRT: 2.35
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 8 AUGUST 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1.	Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

8 AUGUST 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2.	Med shot, Security Council President and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sit down
3.	Med shot, delegates
4.	SOUNDBITE (French) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"We have seen a regional pillar of democracy fall steeply off the constitutional path, undermining years of progress. We have seen an already horrendous food and nutrition emergency grow even worse, exposing many thousands more people to acute shortages of food, water and basic services."
5.	Med shot, delegates 
6.	SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"I am also extremely concerned about reports that armed groups in the north are committing serious human rights violations, including summary executions of civilians, rapes and torture. Moreover, the Ansar Dine group deliberately destroyed nine of the 16 mausoleums in Timbuktu, in callous disregard of sites that have been classified by UNESCO as part of the indivisible heritage of humanity."
7.	Med shot, delegates 
8.	SOUNDBITE (French) Tété Antonio, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations:
"The events in Mali have shaken two of the most fundamental principles of the African Union. That is, the respect for unity and territorial  integrity of the AU members, given the occupation of a large part of the territories by armed groups, terrorists and criminals; and on the other hand, we reject the anti-constitutional changes and the taking of power by force by the coup d'état of 22 March 2012."	
9.	Med shot, delegates 
10.	Wide shot, Security Council
11.	Wide shot, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs Salamatu Suleiman at the stakeout position

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

12.	Close up, reporter's notepad

8 AUGUST 2012, NEW YORK CITY

13.	SOUNDBITE (English) Salamatu Suleiman, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS):
"If we succeed in getting the rebels in the north of the country to come and participate in government, and if we succeed in getting rid of all the criminal activities that are taking place in the north of Mali, then there may be no need for going there as a force, but if it becomes necessary, ECOWAS will indeed support the restructured Malian army to re-establish the territorial integrity of Mali."

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

14.	Close up, cameras

8 AUGUST 2012, NEW YORK CITY

15.	Zoom out, Suleiman walks away from the stakeout position

STORYLINE:

Addressing the "deeply troubling situation" in Mali, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (8 August) encouraged the Security Council to consider taking more action – such as travel and financial sanctions – against those responsible for some of the West African country's current instability.

Ban told a Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa that "we have seen a regional pillar of democracy fall steeply off the constitutional path, undermining years of progress" as well as "an already horrendous food and nutrition emergency grow even worse, exposing many thousands more people to acute shortages of food, water and basic services."

In January, fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels resumed in northern Mali. The instability and insecurity resulting from the renewed clashes, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region and political instability in the wake of a coup d'état in March, have led over 250,000 Malians to flee to neighbouring countries. Some 174,000 Malians are estimated to be internally displaced.

Ban said he was "extremely concerned about reports that armed groups in the north are committing serious human rights violations, including summary executions of civilians, rapes and torture."

He also condemned the destruction of nine out of 16 ancient mausoleums in Timbuktu, "in callous disregard of sites that have been classified by UNESCO as part of the indivisible heritage of humanity."

In addition to international engagement, the UN chief stated that the crisis in Mali will require a holistic and comprehensive approach, rather than partial and disconnected measures, given its complex and multidimensional nature.

The Permanent Observer of the African Union (AU) to the United Nations, Tété Antonio told the Council that the events in Mali "have shaken two of the most fundamental principles" of the African Union "given the occupation of a large part of the territories by armed groups, terrorists and criminals" and "the anti-constitutional changes and the taking of power by force by the coup d'état of 22 March 2012."

In a unanimously adopted resolution in early July, and acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the Security Council condemned the forcible seizure of power in Mali, and demanded the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities by rebel groups in the country's north.

Outside the Council, the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), Salamatu Suleiman, told journalists that "if we succeed in getting the rebels in the north of the country to come and participate in government, and if we succeed in getting rid  of all the criminal activities that are taking place in the north of Mali, then there may be no need for going there as a force, but if it becomes necessary, ECOWAS will indeed support the restructured Malian army to re-establish the territorial integrity of Mali."

In June, ECOWAS and the AU requested a Security Council mandate authorizing the deployment of an ECOWAS stabilization force to ensure the protection of Malian state institutions, and assist in upholding the country's territorial integrity and in combating terrorism.

In resolution 2056, Council members expressed their readiness to further examine this request and encouraged close cooperation between the Malian transitional authorities, ECOWAS, the AU and other countries, to prepare detailed options in regard to any such force's mandate.