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E

COUCIL OF
THE EUROPEA UIO Brussels, 23 July 2012
(OR. fr)
12808/12
COAFR 237
ACP 149
PESC 975
DEVGE 219
COTER 82
COMAG 85
COHAFA 99
RELEX 714

OTE
from: General Secretariat of the Council
to: delegations
Subject: Council Conclusions on Mali/Sahel

At its meeting on 23 July 2012, the Council adopted the Conclusions set out in the Annex to this
note.

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AEX

Council Conclusions on Mali/Sahel

1. The European Union (EU) is alarmed at the deteriorating situation in Mali and i ts adverse
impact on regional and international peace and stability.

2. The EU is concerned at the emergence in northern Mali of a base controlled b y violent
national and international terrorist groups and extremists acting in conce rt with international
criminal networks, including drug traffickers. It strongly condemns the atr ocities committed
against the population in the northern regions of Mali and calls on armed groups to put an end
to them immediately. It is concerned by reports of an increase in human rights vi olations and
forced civilian displacement. The EU condemns the heinous acts of profanation, dam age and
destruction of world heritage sites in Mali. It firmly condemns abductions. A ny individuals or
groups who have committed crimes must be brought to justice.

3. The EU is concerned at the continuing deterioration in the humanitarian situation. The
insecurity in the north of Mali, which is affecting neighbouring countries a lready suffering
from the food crisis, is continuing to cause further population displacement and li miting the
level of assistance. The EU reminds armed groups of their obligation to guarant ee the safety
of all humanitarian actors and afford free and unhindered access to the regions in the north of
the country. The EU will continue to supply humanitarian aid for those most affected by the
conflict, in conjunction, in particular, with the EU Partnership for Resilienc e in Sahel (AGIR).

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4. The EU is concerned at the slow progress of political transition in Bama
ko. It is regrettable
that the task of setting up an inclusive government of political and civil societ y groups is so
difficult, that the CNRDRE 1
has not been dissolved in practice, and that the army and security
forces are unable to fulfil their basic duties of defending territorial i ntegrity and protecting
democratic institutions and people. Rapid progress is needed to ensure an eff ective return to
constitutional rule in Mali and stability in the north of the country. The EU condemns the
attacks on journalists in Mali. It condemns attempts at intimidation and rest ates the
importance it attaches to a free and pluralist press. It is ready t o adopt targeted sanctions
against those who continue to threaten the democratic transition process, peac e, security and
stability in Mali.

5. The EU supports the conclusions of the Ouagadougou summit of 7 July 2012 between Malian stakeholders, the Regional Contact Group and the African Union (AU), in pa rticular
the call to the Interim President to form a Government of National Unity by 31 July 2012 and
the drawing up of a road map. It urges the President to work closely with EC OWAS in order
to determine the arrangements it could make to protect the political transi tion process and the
institutions of state and to help Mali reconstitute armed forces able to safegua rd legality and
the rule of law throughout the whole of Malian territory.

6. The EU fully supports United Nations Security Council Resolution 2056 and its follow- up
together with the ECOWAS initiatives, which place a new Government of Nati onal Unity,
including political figures and civil society in Mali, at the heart of any sol ution.

7. The EU remains fully mobilised and continues to work in close coordination with the UN ,
the AU, ECOWAS and the other regional and international partners concerned. It ca lls on
Mali’s neighbours to play an active and complementary part in the mediat ion activity of
ECOWAS and the AU with the object of ensuring a lasting regional solution.

1 CNRDRE: le Comité national pour le redressement de la démocratie et la r estauration de
l’Etat (National Committee for the Recovery of Democracy and the Restorat ion of the State).

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8. The EU and its Member States pledge to continue in all areas to impleme
nt the EU Strategy
for Security and Development in the Sahel (the Sahel Strategy) in Niger and Mauritania,
countries which must be protected from involvement. To this end, the Council welcomes t he
launch on 1 August 2012 of the CSDP “EUCAP SAHEL Niger” mission, which will assis t in
training and advising internal security forces in Niger and reinforcing re gional coordination
with Mali and Mauritania in the security field.

9. In order to continue implementation of the Sahel Strategy in Mali, the Council invites the
HR/VP and the Commission to make concrete proposals with a view to:

– a gradual return to development cooperation, including support for the elector al process,
duly adapted to the changed environment when the crisis is over, together with
encouragement for the implementation, by a Government of National Unity, of a
consensual road map as soon as the conditions are in place;

– providing support for the possible deployment of a well-prepared ECOW AS
stabilisation force in Mali, under the mandate of the United Nations Security C ouncil
and in concertation with a Government of National Unity and the AU;

– contributing, with the agreement of the Government of National Unity and in coordination with it and with other partners, in particular the United Nations,
the AU and ECOWAS, to the restructuring of Mali’s security and defence forc es, under
civilian control in line with the Sahel Strategy. For this purpose the Council re quests
that options be prepared, including within the CSDP, for the next meeting of the
Council;

– supporting ECOWAS’s mediation activity together with the AU, the UN, countries in
the area and other international players;

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– in cooperation with the Member States, reviewing all action relating
to governance,
security, development and conflict settlement envisaged in the Sahel Strate gy for the
north of Mali with a view to its rapid implementation, in order to provide effective
back-up for the negotiating process in the north and the mediation efforts, as w ell as
taking into account the needs of the populations concerned.
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