Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, at the UNSC Briefing and informal consultations on The situation in Mali - October 18th, 2022

Thank you, Mister President.

Let me begin by thanking Special Representative Wane for his briefing.

It provides an opportunity to underscore our support for MINUSMA and our gratitude to the troop and police-contributing countries that enable this vital peacekeeping operation.

My delegation welcomes Minister Diopp to this meeting.

Mister President,

We will focus on three issues.

The first is the security situation in Mali.

The recent report of the Secretary-General include disturbing information about international and international humanitarian law violations.

We call on the Malian authorities to address these situations.

We also remain deeply concerned about terrorist activities in Mali, particularly in Gao, Ménaka, and the border territory between Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Niger.

We have received with dismay each report of civilian deaths and projections of displacement of thousands of Malian families.

We were appalled by the August 7th attack in Tessit that led to the death of more than forty soldiers from the Malian Defence and Security Forces and wounded at least twenty Malian troops.

We were also deeply worried by the events on September 6th in Talataye.

We reiterate our firm condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

There is no justification for acts of such cruelty.

We underline our support for the efforts by the Malian Defence and Security Forces to fight terrorism.

We underscore the significance of improving communications between soldiers and local populations to ensure support for military operations and diminish casualties among civilians.

We deem it vital that Malian authorities refrain from acts that impose restrictions on MINUSMA's work, primarily those actions that affect the peacekeepers' freedom of movement and their rotation of contingents.

Reinforcing strategic communications within MINUSMA’s activities is also critical.

The second issue focuses on the protection of civilians and the safety of peacekeepers in Mali.

We condemn in the strongest terms yesterday’s attack against MINUSMA near Tessalit.

We extend our condolences to the families of the Chad peacekeepers who were killed and wish a full recovery to those who were wounded.

In fact, MINUSMA has suffered the highest number of casualties of all United Nations peacekeeping operations in recent years.

The Council and the mission’s leadership should do their best to minimize security risks on the ground.

We condemn the misinformation and disinformation campaigns that threaten blue helmets' security and make it challenging for MINUSMA to carry out crucial parts of its mandate.

We recall the Security Council's decision that individuals and entities implicated in planning or conducting attacks against peacekeepers in Mali, as well as those planning or committing acts on Malian soil that constitute human rights violations, including actions concerning the targeting of civilians, may be subject to multilateral sanctions.

We hope that MINUSMA will take adequate measures to address the unique risks to the safety of its peacekeepers while providing vital protection to civilians in Mali.

The third issue we will focus on is Mali's political transition.

Restoring the constitutional order remains critical.

We acknowledge the timetable establishing March 2024 as a transition landing point and hope its definition stimulates the transitional authorities to make progress.

We call on Mali's authorities to pay particular attention to the Algiers Peace Agreement in the following months.

Support from ECOWAS could be vital to achieving additional milestones in implementing the peace agreement.

ECOWAS remains an essential partner to Mali regarding the political transition.

We commend the regional organization's leadership and efforts on this critical issue.

And I thank you.