Russia: Russia used its veto power to block the continuation of a United Nations expert team in Mali. This team had implicated foreign fighters, hinting at Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, in various abuses within the military-controlled West African nation.
13 out of the 15 UN Security Council members supported a proposal to extend sanctions on Mali for one year and maintain the presence of experts in the region.
During the UN meeting, Russia used its veto power to oppose the extension proposal, which was led by France and the United Arab Emirates. China chose to Refrain from the vote. Russia’s UN ambassador, Mr. Vassily Nebenzia, mentioned that the sanctions were initially imposed in 2017 to help a peace agreement in Mali, a country with a history of conflict.
“It is fundamentally important that UN Security Council sanctions deal purely with that issue and not be used as a means of foreign influence on Mali, and that is something that the panel of experts of the Security Council has been involved in,” Mr. Nebenzia stated.
Russia suggested extending the sanctions for one more year but requested the immediate discontinuation of the independent monitoring team.
Western nations have alleged that Russia is taking action in response to UN experts who voiced criticism regarding the actions of Malian forces and their “foreign security partners,” specifically alluding to the Wagner forces operating within the country.
UN sanctions monitor in Mali, operating independently, has informed the Security Council that Malian soldiers, along with their foreign security allies suspected to be Russian mercenaries, are employing violence against women and committing “serious human rights violations” to instil fear and intimidate.
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