United Nations: Al Qaeda and ISIS destabilize Mali

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, announced today, Monday, that the “Al Qaeda” and “ISIS” organizations are causing insecurity in central Mali and continuing clashes near populated areas in the northern regions of Gao and Menaka.

“The level and frequency of violent incidents remains exceptionally high, with attacks against civilians by violent extremist groups making up the majority of documented human rights violations,” Guterres added.

“The attacks on civilians by terrorist groups, the battles for turf between them, and the violent activities of local militias remain a horrific daily reality,” he said.

Guterres’ report to the Security Council stated that “military operations to combat extremist groups will remain a crucial element for restoring security,” and that “extremists in central Mali exploit conflicts between groups to expand their influence and recruit new elements.”

Guterres also pointed out that “al-Qaeda and ISIS fighters in the Greater Sahara continue to fight, causing civilian casualties and thousands fleeing as a result of the violence.”

He added that the number of displaced people in Mali increased from 397,000 to more than 442,000 as of October, with the closure of about 1,950 schools, affecting more than 587,000 children.

He explained that “humanitarian aid reaches only 2.5 million people out of 5.3 million in need.”

The Secretary-General stressed that “the ultimate success against extremist groups depends on whether the operations are accompanied by efforts to ensure respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, to enhance social cohesion, to address structural fragility, and to provide basic services,” as he put it.

It is noteworthy that Mali has been seeking to contain rebellion attempts in the country since 2012, as armed groups in Mali were forced to leave power in the northern cities, before attacking the Malian army and its allies again, to exacerbate insecurity with attacks on civilians and United Nations peacekeeping forces in the country. African.