The top UN envoy for Mali says recent attacks by armed groups and terrorists are an important "wake up call" that highlight the challenge of stabilising the volatile north and restoring security to the west African nation.
Albert Koenders told the UN Security Council yesterday that while the overall improvement of the situation in Mali has opened up new prospects for recovery and its longer-term future, the root causes of the country's near-collapse last year must still be addressed along with humanitarian needs and shocking malnutrition levels.
Mali's minister for national reconciliation and development of the north, Cheick Oumar Diarrah, echoed Koenders, saying the return of armed groups, terrorists and jihadists represent a threat to stability, peace and security in the north "and for the Sahel as a whole.
