GA / MALI DIOP

STORY: GA / MALI DIOP
TRT: 02:39
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 SEPTEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:
1. Wide shot, exterior, UN Headquarters
2. Wide shot, Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs walking to podium, General Assembly Hall
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Diop, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali:
“The United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has not been able to help Mali re-establish its authority over its territory. Despite the considerable investments over the last 10 years during its presence on national territory, the security situation has unfortunately only deteriorated further. The insecurity, which was contained in northern areas of Mali at the time of the deployment of the United Nations Mission in 2013, has now reached the center and the South.”
4. Med shot, Malian delegation
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Diop, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali:
“It had become unacceptable for the Government of Mali to allow MINUSMA to continue to be a part of the problem by aggravating tensions between our communities through the instrumentalization of human rights issues for political ends, serving external agendas belonging to countries that are hostile to Mali.”
6. Wide shot, Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs at podium
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Diop, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali:
“In the current geopolitical context, Mali does not want to be a theater of confrontation or competition for foreign geopolitical interests. Yet we stand ready to cooperate with all partners that respect our sovereignty.”
8. Med shot, Malian delegation
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Diop, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali:
“Mali remains firmly opposed to any inter-military intervention by ECOWAS, which would have disastrous consequences for Niger and the whole of the region. Any military intervention in Niger, any aggression, or any invasion of that country would pose a direct threat to the peace and security of Mali and of the region, and it would necessarily entail grave consequences. We will not stand idly by.”
10. Wide shot, Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs at podium
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Abdoulaye Diop, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali:
“The many peace, security, and development challenges require a reformed, adapted, and inclusive multilateral framework. We can no longer do what we've been doing before, using the same mechanisms and institutions that have failed to adapt while expecting a new outcome.”
12. Wide shot, Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs at podium

STORYLINE:
The Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop, stated, “In the current geopolitical context, Mali does not want to be a theater of confrontation or competition for foreign geopolitical interests.”

He added, “Yet, we stand ready to cooperate with all partners that respect our sovereignty.”

Addressing the General Assembly today (23 Sep), Diop said, “The United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has not been able to help Mali re-establish its authority over its territory. Despite the considerable investments over the last 10 years during its presence on national territory, the security situation has unfortunately only deteriorated further. The insecurity, which was contained in northern areas of Mali at the time of the deployment of the United Nations Mission in 2013, has now reached the center and the South.”

He continued, “It had become unacceptable for the Government of Mali to allow MINUSMA to continue to be a part of the problem by aggravating tensions between our communities through the instrumentalization of human rights issues for political ends, serving external agendas belonging to countries that are hostile to Mali.”

He also said, “Mali remains firmly opposed to any inter-military intervention by ECOWAS, which would have disastrous consequences for Niger and the whole of the region. Any military intervention in Niger, any aggression, or any invasion of that country would pose a direct threat to the peace and security of Mali and of the region, and it would necessarily entail grave consequences. We will not stand idly by.”

The Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs concluded, “The many peace, security, and development challenges require a reformed, adapted, and inclusive multilateral framework. We can no longer do what we've been doing before, using the same mechanisms and institutions that have failed to adapt while expecting a new outcome.”