1. U.N. to take over Mali security from France(Jun 30): I. United Nations (U.N.) soldiers will take over from African troops in conflict-scarred Mali from Monday, making up the organisation’s third-largest peacekeeping force by the end of the year. II. A 12,600-strong force will take over security duties from French troops who entered Mali in January while France is winds down its deployment from its peak of nearly 4,500. III. Rwandan General Jean-Bosco Kazura, formerly second in command of African Union (A.U.) troops in Sudan’s western Darfur region, will lead the force. IV. The majority of his soldiers will be Africans already stationed in Mali but China has offered to supply more than 500 troops, its biggest contribution to U.N. peacekeeping.Sweden will send around 70 troops for a maximum of one year while Norway is to contribute 25 soldiers and police. V. The U.N. mission is due to play a key role in presidential polls announced for July 28 but the Election Commission has raised doubts over its ability to stage a free and fair vote with such short notice. The Commission’s president Mamadou Diamountani said this week it would be “extremely difficult” to get up to eight million voting cards to the electorate in a country where 500,000 people have been displaced by conflict. VI. The U.N. has called on member states to contribute critical resources, including personnel and equipment, to ensure that it can support Mali in implementing the accord and preparing for the elections. Mission is called MINUSMA.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 13:53:10 +0000
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