UN calls on new Mali government to implement peace agreement

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres this week called on Mali’s transitional
government to maintain a 2015 peace agreement deemed critical for the country’s
stability.
The appeal came in a report submitted to the Security Council.
“The peace agreement remains the relevant framework for the urgently needed
institutional reforms, and its implementation must remain a priority,” the UN chief
said in the document.
The peace deal, signed under the country’s former President Ibrahim Boubacar
Keita, was meant to disarm rebel groups and integrate them into the national army,
but its implementation has dragged on for years despite international pressure.
“There is no viable alternative. I call on the transitional authorities to take ownership
of the agreement,” Guterres added.
A military junta overthrew Keita last month, before taking over the leadership of the
West African nation long plagued by instability, a simmering jihadist revolt, ethnic
violence and endemic corruption.
“The political vacuum is of great concern, as it may further delay the implementation
of the peace agreement, and the reform agenda, which had already slowed down
significantly in previous months,” Guterres said.

Mali’s interim President Bah Ndaw on Sunday named former Malian Foreign Minister
Moctar Ouane as prime minister.
The appointment of a civilian premier opens the way for the country’s neighbors to lift
sanctions imposed after the August military coup.

Cgtn.com