Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, at the UN Security Council meeting on MINUSMA - April 12th 2023

Let me start by thanking SRSG Wane for his comprehensive briefing and welcome the Delegation of Mali to this meeting.

The security situation in Mali remains unstable and continues to take a heavy toll on MINUSMA. In that vein, we regret the casualties of three peacekeepers near Songobia, on February 21^st, and offer our sincere condolences and solidarity to the government of Senegal, as well as to the families of the victims.

Brazil reiterates its firm condemnation of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations. There is no justification for such acts. Nor for the attacks against schools and hospitals, the increase of which we note with deep concern. We also find the reported rise in the use and recruitment of children soldiers alarming. We must renew our efforts to protect the most vulnerable.

As rightfully pointed out in the Secretary-General’s report, insecurity hinders the presence of State’s authority. Therefore, we should continue to support the efforts of the Malian Armed Forces to fight terrorism, which remains a major challenge to the restoration of state authority in the centre and the north of Mali.

We note with concern that no solution for the resumption of unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) flights has been reached so far, despite the fact that MINUSMA adopted the measures agreed with the Malian transition government. The safety and security of peacekeepers should be a top priority. We call on the Malian authorities to work with MINUSMA, without delay, on the review of the procedure for drone ISR flights. It is essential to ensure MINUSMA’s freedom of movement.

In June, the Council will discuss the renewal of MINUSMA’s mandate. Brazil considers it essential to ensure that MINUSMA has the necessary means to support the implementation of the Peace agreement and the political transition, as well as to protect civilians and support the restoration of the Malian State authority in the entire country.

Mister President,

We believe that regional cooperation can be equally beneficial to help Mali pave the way to a successful transition process. In this regard, Brazil fully supports the current engagement with the ECOWAS mediator Goodluck Jonathan and hopes that his dialogue with the Malian transitional authorities will lead to closer collaboration on the development and implementation of a transition plan conducive to the restoration of constitutional order.

The return to democratic normality, including the drafting of a new constitution, is a collective endeavor, which must include women, youth, and ethnic and religious minorities. We commend the Malian authorities for the conclusion of this phase and for adding legitimacy to that the exercise by bringing women, trade unions, political parties and civil society representatives to the drafting commission.

At the same time, we welcome not only the cooperation established between MINUSMA and l’Autorité Indépendante de Gestion des Elections (AIGE) with a view to coordinating the technical and logistical support for the ballot, but also the provision of capacity building to civil society organisations on gender promotion in electoral processes and election-related violence prevention. These are encouraging concrete steps towards more inclusivity and participation in the poll.

Mister President,

While the aforementioned developments on the transition process and constitutional reforms are remarkable, they cannot set a sound foundation for durable peace without the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. Therefore, we wish to commend the leadership of Algeria in the mediation process to overcome the present impasse and urge all Malian political forces to remain engaged in dialogue and redouble efforts aiming at the full implementation of the peace agreement.

Before I conclude, and in view of the dire humanitarian situation, my delegation wishes to seize this opportunity to underscore again the need to address the root causes of conflict. This notion should guide our collective endeavor to adjust and review the tasks of the Mission in the upcoming mandate renewal talks.

And I thank you.