Statments
AAPSO STATEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN MALI
Since the military coup d’Etat led by Amadou Sanogo on 22 March 2012, the overall situation in Mali has gone from bad to worst. Further on, a transitional body had been set up to run the country and headed by Diuncunda Traore. But the threat of partition of Mali has raised deep concerns, frustration and consternation, now that different kinds of armed islamist and terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda. Al-Aqim, rebels Touareg and Ansar din…have hold sway on this northern part of the country.
In 6 April 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad ( MNLA) unilaterally declared the independence of this northern territory of Mali, but later on, apparently had soften its stance. While the MNLA demanded the independence of Azawad, the Ansar din wanted instead to form an islamist state and to establish an islamic sharia law all over Mali. The armed islamists and terrorist groups had already applyied hardline islamic sharia, destroyed mosques and some historical treasures of the brilliant past of Mali. They are boasting of being well armed with ammunitions coming from Libya where they were combating as mercenaries.
The Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organisation- AAPSO - considers the unfortunate development of the situation as an open door to possible chaos which may lead to abyss if solution was not found immediately.
Due to the complexity of the situation and although some voices are in favour of negotiations, the military intervention, largely accepted by many like the African Union, the ECOWAS, has been regarded as a practical urgent action to deal with the crisis. The United Nations Security Council has yet to decide in this connection after the ECOWAS has made within one month concrete plan of concept of operation to reconquer the North of Mali.
Acknowledging the dangerous development of the situation in Mali, the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organisation endorses any urgent and effective action taken by the international community in this country. It severely condemns the blatant violation of the territorial integrity of Mali and that the restoration of order and stability should be made as well as the re-establishment of the unity of the Republic of Mali preserved.
