Confidence building - slowly, very slowly
Ganulv,
The official UN "line" regarding use of the French troops appears to be:
Quote:
By other terms of the resolution (resolution 2100 of 25 April 2013 ), the Security Council authorized MINUSMA to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate as set out in paragraphs 16 (a) (i) and (ii), 16 (c) (i) and (iii), 16 (e), 16 (f) and 16 (g). It also authorized French troops deployed in Mali to use all necessary means to intervene in support of elements of MINUSMA when under imminent and serious threat upon request of the Secretary-General.
Link:http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/mi.../mandate.shtml
The Mission TOR are:
Quote:
The Mission has been asked to support the transitional authorities of Mali in the stabilization of the country and implementation of the transitional roadmap, focusing on major population centres and lines of communication, protecting civilians, human rights monitoring, the creation of conditions for the provision of humanitarian assistance and the return of displaced persons, the extension of State authority and the preparation of free, inclusive and peaceful elections.
Link:http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/mi...ma/index.shtml
Elsewhere I have read that all the actual troops, police and others are not expected to be in place before December 2013. A Chinese PLA contingent has been pledged, but an official news agency report stressed it had no offensive role and the combat element would protect camps etc.
The key word is, with my emphasis 'The Mission has been asked to support the transitional authorities of Mali...'
The UN of course are resolute:
Quote:
This is not an anti-terrorist operation but of course the mandate has an element of real robustness in it and of course we are in a position to use all necessary means to defend ourselves and of course to defend the mandate...
From:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-afri...twitter_africa
We shall no doubt learn how 'robust' this mission is.
Drone shot-down: it's a mystery?
An unidentified drone is detected flying inside Mali, then shot down inside Mali and SOF inserted to collect all the debris. No-one says whose drone it is - so far.
Ah you ask, who possibly would do this? Well according to this report, Algeria:http://avicennesy.wordpress.com/2013...-au-nord-mali/
This is a rather odd incident if true. Why would Algeria shoot down a (US) drone over Mali?
Perhaps this is the answer?
Quote:
The American missions have not been without incident. On April 9, one of the drones crashed in a remote part of northern Mali, presumably because of a mechanical failure. “It was a total loss,” one Air Force officer said of the wreckage.
Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/wo...&smid=tw-share
The Algerians responding of course to assist with security and returning any wreckage recovered.
Quite different from being shot down!
Second round of elections.
The second round of elections in Mali is underway today. Here is a link to the Al Jazeera piece; a round-up of French language pieces may be found here.
The 2012-2013 Mali Conflict: Considerations on the Human Battlespace and Strategic Ou
A Handbook on Mali's 2012-2013 Crisis
A short fifty-one page document, published by Northwestern University; the authors being Alexander Thurston and Andrew Lebovich:http://www.bcics.northwestern.edu/do...n-Lebovich.pdf
One wonders if the intelligence agencies supplied such a helpful briefing when Mali came to the fore?
Quote:
This Handbook provides resources that help explain and contextualize the intersecting crises that destabilized Mali in 2012-2013. These crises included a rebellion by Tuareg separatists, a coup by junior officers, and violence carried out by Muslim militants. In addition to an overview of the crisis, the Handbook contains historical timelines, demographic information, glossaries of individuals and movements, translated documents, and maps. Interspersed throughout the text are
narratives offering historical background on past rebellions in Mali, as well as information about contemporary Malian society and detailed sections analyzing the actors in the 2012-2013 crisis. For novice observers of Mali, the Handbook serves as an introduction to the country. For veteran
analysts, the Handbook represents an important reference guide. At the end of the Handbook, a bibliography lists both scholarly works on Mali and resources for continued coverage of events there. By presenting Mali's past and present in their complexity, the Handbook casts doubt on
reductionist narratives about the conflict and gestures toward the nuance and sophistication necessary to understanding this country and its problems.
Something to peruse another day.