United Nations Security Council Resolution 2374 – The situation in Mali

Resolution 2374 (2017)

The Security Council,

Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 2364 (2017) and 2359 (2017), concerning the situation in Mali,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali, emphasizing that the Malian authorities have primary responsibility for the provision of stability and security throughout the territory of Mali, and underscoring the importance of achieving national ownership of peace-and security-related initiatives,

Recognizing the legitimate aspiration of all Malian citizens to enjoy lasting peace and development,

Recognizing that the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali (“the Agreement”) signed in 2015 by the Government of Mali, the Plateforme coalition of armed groups, and the Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad coalition of armed groups, and its continued implementation, represents a historic opportunity to achieve lasting peace in Mali,

Condemning the repeated violations of the ceasefire arrangements by the Plateforme and Coordination armed groups in the Kidal and Menaka regions, urging them to cease hostilities, to strictly adhere to the ceasefire arrangements and to resume a constructive dialogue without delay for the full implementation of the Agreement, and welcoming to this extent the recent signing of a truce agreement on 23 August 2017 in Bamako,

Recognizing the recent progress achieved for the implementation of the Agreement, including the establishment of all interim administrations in the North, while expressing its deep concern over the persistent delays for its full implementation two years after it was concluded, and highlighting the pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali in order to keep the momentum of the Agreement,

Affirming its intention to facilitate, support and follow closely the implementation of the Agreement, commending the role played by Algeria and other members of the international mediation team to assist the Malian parties to implement the Agreement, emphasizing the need for increased engagement by the members of the international mediation team, and further emphasizing the central role the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali should continue to play to support and oversee the implementation of the Agreement,

Deploring that the slow progress in the implementation of the Agreement, particularly its defence and security provisions, as well as the delayed restructuring of the security sector, have hampered efforts to restore security and the authority of the Malian State and the delivery of basic social services in the North of Mali, and stressing the primary responsibility of the Government of Mali, the Plateforme and Coordination armed groups to accelerate the implementation of the Agreement in order to improve the security situation across Mali and to forestall attempts by terrorist groups to derail the implementation of the Agreement,

Expressing its serious concern about the volatile security situation, especially the expansion of terrorist and other criminal activities into Central and Southern Mali as well as the intensification of criminal activities such as drug trafficking and trafficking in persons in Mali,

Emphasizing that security and stability in Mali are inextricably linked to that of the Sahel and West Africa regions, as well as the situation in Libya and in the North Africa region,

Acknowledging the impact of the situation in Mali on peace and security in the Sahel, as well as on the wider West Africa and North African region,

Expressing its continued concern over the transnational dimension of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region, as well as the serious challenges posed by transnational organized crime in the Sahel region, including arms, drug and cultural property trafficking, the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, and its increasing links, in some cases, with terrorism, and underscoring the responsibility of the countries in the region in addressing these threats and challenges,

Noting that impunity can encourage a culture of corruption in which trafficking and other criminal interests can thrive, further encouraging instability and insecurity, and calling for the Malian government to devote appropriate law enforcement resources in this regard and encouraging international, regional and sub-regional cooperation and support to the Malian Government in this endeavor,

Strongly condemning the activities in Mali and in the Sahel region of terrorist organizations, including the Mouvement pour l’unicité et le jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO), Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Mourabitoun, Ansar Eddine, and associated individuals and groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims), Islamic State in Greater Sahara and Ansaroul Islam, which continue to operate in Mali and constitute a threat to peace and security in the region and beyond, as well as human rights abuses and violence against civilians, notably women and children, committed in Mali and in the region by terrorist groups,

Recalling the listing of MUJAO, the Organisation of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar Eddine and its leader Iyad Ag Ghali, and Al-Mourabitoun on the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions list established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), and reiterating its readiness, under the above-mentioned regime, to sanction further individuals, groups, undertakings and entities who are associated with ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and other listed entities or individuals, including AQIM, Al Mourabitoun and Ansar Eddine, in accordance with the established listing criteria,

Strongly condemning the continuing attacks, including terrorist attacks against civilians, the Malian defense and security forces, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the French forces, underlining the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urging the Government of Mali to take measures to ensure that those responsible for these attacks are held accountable,

Strongly condemning the incidents of kidnapping and hostage-taking with the aim of raising funds or gaining political concessions, reiterating its determination to prevent kidnapping and hostage-taking in the Sahel region and to secure the safe release of hostages without ransom payments or political concessions, in accordance with applicable international law, recalling its resolutions 2133 (2014), 2253 (2015)and 2368 (2017) and including its call upon all Member States to prevent terrorists from benefitting directly or indirectly from the payment of ransoms or from political concessions and to secure the safe release of hostages and, in this regard, noting the publication of the Global Counterterrorism Forum’s (GCTF) “Algiers Memorandum on Good Practices on Preventing and Denying the Benefits of Kidnapping for Ransom by Terrorists”,

Strongly condemning all abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law in Mali, including those involving extrajudicial and summary executions, arbitrary arrests and detentions and ill-treatment of persons whose liberty has been restricted, sexual and gender-based violence, as well as killing, maiming, recruitment and use of children, attacks against schools and hospitals, calling on all parties to respect the civilian character of schools as such in accordance with international humanitarian law and to cease unlawful and arbitrary detention of all children, and calling upon all parties to bring an end to such violations and abuses and to comply with their obligations under applicable international law,

Emphasizing the need for all parties to uphold and respect the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in order to ensure the continued provision of humanitarian assistance, the safety and protection of civilians receiving assistance and the security of humanitarian personnel opera ting in Mali, stressing the importance of humanitarian assistance being delivered on the basis of need, reiterating that all parties must allow and facilitate full, safe, and unhindered access for the timely delivery of aid to all persons in need across Mali,

Noting with grave concern the involvement of non-state actors, notably terrorist groups, in the destruction of cultural heritage and the trafficking in cultural property and related offences and further taking note of the fact that on 27 September 2016 the ICC found Mr Al Mahdi guilty of the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against religious and historical monuments in Timbuktu,

Welcoming the continued action by the French forces, at the request and in support of the Malian authorities, to deter the terrorist threat in the North of Mali,

Welcoming the deployment of the Force Conjointe des Etats du G5 Sahel (FC-G5S), underlining that the FC-G5S efforts to counter the activities of terrorist groups and other organized criminal groups will contribute to create a more secure environment in the Sahel region, with a view to supporting MINUSMA fulfil its mandate to stabilize Mali,

Commending the role of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM Mali) in Mali in providing training and advice for the Malian Defence and Security Forces, including contributing to the strengthening of civilian authority and respect for human rights, and of the European Union Capacity Building Mission (EUCAP Sahel Mali) in providing strategic advice and training for the Police, Gendarmerie and Garde nationale in Mali,

Recalling the mandate of MINUSMA as outlined in resolution 2364 (2017), reiterating its strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, and for MINUSMA to assist the Malian authorities and the Malian people in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country, bearing in mind the primary responsibility of the Malian authorities to protect the population, and welcoming the stabilizing effect of the international presence in Mali, including MINUSMA,

Recalling the provisions of the Agreement calling upon the Security Council to give its full support to the Agreement, to closely monitor its implementation and, if necessary, to take measures against anyone hindering the implementation of the commitments contained therein or the realization of its objectives,

Recalling the provisions of resolution 2364 (2017) expressing the readiness of the Security Council to consider targeted sanctions against those who take actions to obstruct or threaten the implementation of the Agreement, those who resume hostilities and violate the ceasefire, those who attack and take actions to threaten MINUSMA and other international presences, as well as those who provide support to such attacks and actions,

Taking note of the letter of the Government of Mali to the President of the Security Council of 9 August 2017 underlining that the repeated violations of the ceasefire since the beginning of June 2017, particularly in the Kidal region, pose serious threats to the fragile gains made in implementing the Agreement, and thus requesting the Security Council, in order to address the many obstacles to the implementation of the Agreement, to immediately establish a regime of targeted sanctions against those responsible for obstructing the implementation of the Agreement,

Determining that the situation in Mali continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 8040th meeting, on 5 September 2017.