The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a resolution that paves the way for military intervention in Mali to retake the African country’s north from the control of militants. The resolution, sponsored by France, expressed alarm over the infiltration by “al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), affiliated groups and other extremist groups,” and condemned “the abuses of human rights committed in the north of Mali by armed rebels, terrorist and other extremist groups.” It called for a detailed plan for an operation to drive out the militants from African organizations within 45 days.
The UN’s assistant secretary-general for human rights returned from Mali to tell reporters this week that “the population is suffering,” Ivan Simonovic said. The UN has so far refused to endorse requests for military intervention without details of a plan. Extremist groups and Tuareg rebels took control of the north after Mali’s president was overthrown in March. Both Mali’s government and the West African regional body Ecowas have made requests for authorisation for an international force to intervene, with Ecowas proposing a force of 3,000.