The military of the Republic of Mali has sustained heavy casualties in a series of deadly Jihadists attacks this year. 

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  – NEW YORK –  Twenty-four Malian soldiers were killed Monday by militants in eastern Mali as there seems to be no end in sight to deadly Jihadists attacks despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeeping  and foreign  troops.  The latest such attack comes only two weeks after at least 54 soldiers were killed in an attack on an army post in northern Mali.  More than 100 soldiers in Mali have died in extremists attacks since September.  Terror and violent attacks linked to militant Islamic groups in the Africa SAHEL  region have increased dramatically during the past few years.  The main African countries on the front lines in the battle against terrorism in the dangerous Sahel region are Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso.

Une pensée profonde pour nos vaillants soldats tombés dans des combats contre les terroristes à Tabankort, non loin du Niger, pour la défense de la souveraineté de notre pays & soutien total aux FAMa. La nation leur restera éternellement reconnaissante. Que Dieu bénisse le Mali !

— Yaya Sangare (@YayaBSangare) November 18, 2019

West African Leaders Call on United Nations To Take Decisive Action To Assure Security in Sahel

-Mali peacekeeping mandate must be strengthened, says Senegal’s Sall, reports  RFI

Senegal’s President Macky Sall opened the International Forum on Peace and Security in Dakar on Monday calling for the UN Security Council to agree to a stronger mandate for MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping force in Mali.  “Fighting terrorism in the Sahel is both a duty of solidarity and an imperative for collective security,” said Sall, adding, “in Africa and outside the continent we are all threatened, we all have an interest in peacekeeping.”

These sentiments were backed by his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani,  RFI reports. 

“The UN must reform…in its peacekeeping policy, which is not in line with the issues” security in the Sahel, he said.

United Nations Extends Condolences to the Armed forces and the People of Mali

Credit:  Gary Raynaldo  /  Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for United Nations  Secretary‑General António Guterres briefs reporters at UN world headquarters in New York Nov. 19, 2019. 

“We very much extend our condolences to the armed forces and the people of Mali. We are… the peacekeeping mission there (MINUSMA) is in touch with the Malian authorities, is assisting medical evacuations if requested.  I think the attack, for us, illustrates once again the magnitude of the threat in the region, and the UN Mission in Mali reiterates its unflagging support for the Malian authorities”.

-Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary‑General

Addressing the concerns of West African leaders regarding the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Sahel,   Dujarric said:

“…the UN force in the Sahel is operating under extremely different conditions.  …we tragically report continuously on the loss of life of our peacekeepers in the front lines.  Our peacekeepers and also the Malian armed forces and also, of course, Malian civilians. There is a more robust force, the G5 Sahel, which the UN Mission in Mali is supporting, as required by Security Council.  We provided fuel to a number of its units recently. For us, we welcome the fact that the G5 Sahel has increased its operational tempo, so to speak, but for it to be effective as the Secretary‑General has said we think there should be also a constant and predictable source of funding. “

African Ambassadors Call For More Action To End Terror Attacks in SAHEL

Credit:  By Gary Raynaldo  /  Ambassador of Niger to the United States Abdallah Wafy (left),  Ambassador  of Mauritania  to the U.S.  Ba  Samba  Mamadou,  and  Second Adviser of the Embassy of Mali in the U.S. Ibrahima  Biridogo , participate in the  Africa Center for Strategic Studies  roundtable, “Strategies for Peace and Security in the Sahel” at National Defense University in Washington D.C. Sept. 9, 2019.

United Nations Cannot Deal With Terrorist Threat: Ambassador of NIGER  to U.S. 

“Ten years ago, there were no foreign troops in Mali. Now there are many.  (UN) MINUSMA costs $1 Billion per year. After six years and $6 Billion,  we still have the problem of terrorism. Also France spends $700 million per  year for its Operation Barkhane. But the situation (in Sahel) is deteriorating. The region is still a sanctuary for terrorists.  We should divert these funds to those who are able to do the job. The UN can not deal with a terrorist threat.  MINUSMA is a peacekeeping operation. MINUSMA is not designed to fight terrorists. We are going to address this issue at the UN Security Council next year. As of January 2020, Niger will be on the UN Security Council.”

-Ambassador of Niger to the United States Abdallah Wafy