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The meeting of the UN Security Council turned into a diplomatic clash on Tuesday, October 18, when Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop and the French ambassador clashed. After Bamako launched numerous stings at the UN over the Secretary General’s report for the June-September period, Abdoulaye Diop renewed the accusations against Paris.
After a start to the session in its usual purr, the Security Council Chamber has taken on the air of a boxing ring as soon as the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs took the floor, reports our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nooten.
Abdoulaye Diop criticized the UN and members of the Security Council warning the transitional authorities. Then he has directly attacked France, who has committed acts serious aggression and espionage in Mali, according to him, and reproached the Council for not reacting to successive protests from Bamako.
During his speech, Abdoulaye Diop said he was surprised that the Secretary General’s report ” passed over in silence » the referral to the Council by Mali on August 15 for « destabilization attempts and repeated violations of Mali’s airspace by French forces “. That is ” extremely serious acts of aggression “, he says, which should not remain without follow-up.
Mali requests a specific meeting of the Security Council
Through his voice, the authorities of Mali renewed their request for a specific meeting of the UN Security Council to present ” concrete evidence “. Mali’s foreign minister says France has shared intelligence and left material for the benefit of criminal organizations.
The French ambassador, Nicolas de Rivière, was then indignant at these ” lies » and defamation, and asked to answer for « restore the truth » : « False and defamatory accusations. Serious and unfounded accusations. France has never violated Malian airspace. »
Nicolas de Rivière recalled the circumstances of the deployment of the Barkhane force, its mission, and affirmed that France had never violated Malian airspace.
Bamako took care not to send upstream the ” evidence » evoked
While the Gabonese ambassador, holding the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, was preparing to close the meeting, Abdoulaye Diop asked to speak again.
After a moment of hesitation, the floor is given to him. The Malian minister, this time without any note in front of him, reiterates his request for a specific session ” a.s.a.p ».
« The Malian State will bring to the face of the Security Council and to the face of the world tangible proof of what we put forward », he declares, before concluding that he wants France to make this request for a special meeting.
A theatrical request which surprised the diplomats in New York: nothing prevented Abdoulaye Diop from already advancing these elements at this present session. The Minister could even have sent them by post to the Council prior to this meeting if he had wished, which he did not do.
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