Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government and the European Union share the widespread international concern about the situation in Mali. The UN Security Council has adopted three resolutions on the situation since July 2012. During the past week there has been a serious escalation in the conflict as militants based in the north pushed southwards towards Mali’s capital, Bamako. On 10 January the UN Security Council stated the deterioration in the situation threatened the stability and integrity of Mali "and constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security". The Malian army, with support from France, has launched a counter-offensive to repel the advance.

Following a meeting of the UN Security Council on 14 January, the Secretary General welcomed the response by bilateral partners to the call for assistance by the Government of Mali. EU Ministers will review the situation at an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels tomorrow. The situation in Mali is very complex and volatile. I welcome the decision taken to accelerate the deployment of African regional forces to assist the Malian authorities. This effort is being led by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. The European Union will support the African-led mission. Urgent planning is under way for the establishment of an EU training mission which will be considered at tomorrow’s meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.

The Government fully understands the action taken by France and others in support of the Malian authorities. There is strong agreement that military action alone will not secure lasting peace and stability. EU Foreign Ministers have consistently pressed the Malian parties to adopt and implement a roadmap for a transition to democratic elections. When this is in place, the European Union will be in a position to resume bilateral development co-operation and economic engagement with Mali. It is also essential to have an inclusive process of reconciliation and peace building in Mali that respects the territorial integrity of the country and addresses ethnic divisions.

We are seriously concerned about the impact of this crisis on the civilian population. During the past year Ireland has provided over €9 million in emergency assistance for the Sahel region, including €1.35 million for Mali and Malian refugees in neighbouring countries.

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