Vietnam affirmed its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mali during a meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on July 27.

The UN Security Council holds an online meeting on July 27
to look into the situation in Mali (Photo: VNA)
 

The UNSC listened to Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), reporting on the situation in the country.

The council voiced concerns over recent political tensions there, especially opposition parties’ protests in Bamako capital on July 10, 11 and 12 that killed 11 civilians.

It urged parties to exercise maximum restraint and not take actions that escalate tensions amid the context that Mali and the region are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the growth of terrorism, extreme violence and poverty.

It also highly valued mediation efforts by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to seek peaceful solutions between the Malian Government and opposition parties.

The UNSC asked the Malian Government and relevant sides to continue implementing the 2015 peace accord while ensuring safety and security for the country’s people, especially women and children.

At the meeting, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission to the UN, shared the speaker’s and UNSC members’ view on the situation in Mali.

He called for dialogue and negotiation among parties to resolve existing differences, stressing the need for the continued and full implementation of the 2015 peace deal.

The diplomat also requested measures to be carried out to ensure safety for Malian people, particularly women and children, and showed support for the role of the UN, the MINUSMA, the African Union, the ECOWAS and the EU in maintaining peace and security in Mali.