U.S. Department of State

In Brussels, International Community Solidifies Commitment to Mali’s Recovery

Women Sell Cloth at the Grand Market in Bamako, Mali

Representatives from more than 80 countries met in Brussels on May 15 to pledge their support for Mali, which is recovering from political upheaval and the occupation of its northern territory by rebels and terrorist groups.

Nancy Lindborg, USAID’s Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, and I announced an additional $32 million in new U.S. humanitarian assistance to support Malians affected by the crisis. MORE

Key Outcomes at the UN Human Rights Council 22nd Session

Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, U.S. Representative to the Human Rights Council, spoke at the Human Rights Council March 21 to introduce the resolution on Sri Lanka sponsored by the United States and 40 other countries, Geneva, Switzerland, March 21, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe serves as the U.S. Representative to the Human Rights Council.

The Human Rights Council 22nd Session, which ended on March 22, was one of the most significant in the Council’s short history. The packed agenda and vast portfolio of country situations and human rights issues addressed over the past four weeks are clear evidence of the Council’s ability to serve as the lead entity in the UN for promoting and protecting human rights.

In addition to the Council’s official agenda, nearly 150 different parallel events sponsored by civil society and governments took place, a clear signal that human rights defenders consider the Council a crucial venue for their work. When Shin Dong Hyuk, a young man who escaped from the brutal North Korean labor camp in which he had been born and grew up, gave compelling testimony at an event organized by a leading NGO, it was clear that the Council can and does bring the reality of human rights issues… more »

Resolving the Plight of Persecuted, Uprooted People Around the World

Afghan refugee children stand on their belonging loaded on a truck as they depart for Afghanistan at a UNHCR repatriation terminal near Quetta, Pakistan, Nov. 17, 2012. [AP File Photo]

About the Author: Anne C. Richard serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration.

2012 was a challenging year for humanitarians trying to help displaced people around the world. The following summarizes some of the challenges addressed by the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) last year.

Inside Syria, 40,000 people have been killed and over two million are displaced. Over half a million people have fled to neighboring countries. The U.S. government (the State Department and USAID) is providing $210 million in humanitarian aid to the region, and this aid is reaching millions.

Last year, refugees fled violence and drought in Northern Mali and… more »

UNSC Adoption of Resolution on Mali

Press Statement
Patrick Ventrell
Acting Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 21, 2012

The United States welcomes adoption by the UN Security Council of a resolution on the situation in Mali. The resolution, cosponsored by the U.S., supports a comprehensive approach to addressing the overlapping governance, security, and humanitarian crises affecting Mali, which is an urgent priority of the United States.

We have worked collaboratively with our Security Council partners, the African Union, ECOWAS, and the European Union to ensure that this resolution provides a framework to address Mali’s four primary challenges: restoration of democracy in Mali; finding a negotiated solution to the political grievances of northern groups that reject terrorism and accept Mali’s territorial integrity; restoration of Mali’s territorial integrity by reducing the threat posed by terrorist organizations including al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA) and associated extremist groups as well as disrupting international criminal networks; and responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. MORE.

Secretary Clinton Delivers Remarks Following the Meeting With President Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
El Mouradia Palace
Algiers, Algeria
October 29, 2012

SECRETARY CLINTON: First, let me say how pleased I am to be back in Algeria and to have this chance to consult in depth with the President and (inaudible). I want to thank the President for his hospitality in the time that he has spent talking with me and that we will continue over lunch. We reviewed our strong bilateral relationship, including the fact we had an excellent Strategic Dialogue on a number of issues just last week in Washington.

And we had an in-depth discussion of the region, particularly the situation in Mali. I very much appreciated the President’s analysis, based on his long experience, as to the many complicated factors that have to be addressed to deal with the internal insecurity in Mali and the terrorist and drug trafficking threat that is posed to the region and beyond. And we have agreed to continue with in-depth expert discussions, to work together bilaterally and with the region – along with the United Nations, and the African Union, and ECOWAS – to determine the most effective approaches that we should be taking.

So again, I thank the President for his time and very helpful observations, and I look forward to continuing our discussion on a matter that is of particular interest to us both.

Thank you very much.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks on the situation in Mali during a United Nations meeting in New York on September 26, 2012. You can find a transcript of the Secretary’s remarks here.

Photo of the Week: Providing Assistance to Refugees

Assistant Secretary Anne Richard meets with refugees affected by conflict in Mali and food insecurity in the Sahel region, in Burkina Faso, July 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Eboni Bell serves as an Editorial Assistant for DipNote.

This week’s “Photo of the Week” comes to us from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and shows Assistant Secretary of State Anne C. Richard meeting with representatives of the Damba refugee camp in Burkina Faso. Assistant Secretary Richard is on travel to Burkina Faso and Geneva until August 4, 2012.

In Burkina Faso, Assistant Secretary Richard joined with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres to review the situation of refugees from the crisis in Mali, which is taking place within the broader Sahel food insecurity… more »

Political Situation in Mali

Press Statement

Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 25, 2012

The United States strongly condemns this week’s violence and calls on Captain Sanogo and the Committee for the Restoration of Democracy (CNRD) to stand aside immediately and allow for the restoration of civilian rule. We call on Mali’s soldiers to return to their roles as defenders of Mali’s constitution.

The United States will remain alert to any efforts – civilian or military – to deprive Mali’s citizens of a speedy return to stable, democratic government. We will continue to pursue sanctions on members of the CNRD and others, military and civilian, who seek to undermine this process.

Interim President of Mali Sworn-in

Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 12, 2012

The United States welcomes the April 12 inauguration of Diouncounda Traore as interim President of Mali to head a transition government tasked with organizing elections. We commend the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in working to restore civilian rule to Mali and its ongoing efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the north. We support these positive steps forward in the political transition process, and we urge all parties to facilitate the swift and complete restoration of civilian rule through free and fair elections.

We are deeply concerned about reports of human rights violations in the north. We strongly condemn all looting and violence, including violence against humanitarian and diplomatic missions and sexual and gender-based violence. The United States and the international community remind all parties of their obligations under international law, which holds combatants and their commanders to account for acts of conflict-related sexual violence and acts of aggression. We urge all armed groups to cease-fire, respect human rights, engage in dialogue with Mali’s civilian government, and allow assistance to reach populations in need unhindered.

The Political and Security Situation in Mali

Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 3, 2012

We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing political crisis in Mali. Mali’s territorial integrity is at stake and its political institutions will be further weakened if Captain Amadou Sanogo and his supporters do not release their illegitimate grip on Mali and its people immediately. We commend the ongoing leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore full civilian and constitutional rule and echo its call on Captain Sanogo and his supporters to return power to a civilian leadership consistent with Mali’s Constitution.

The United States urgently calls on all armed rebels in the north of Mali to cease military operations that compromise the Republic of Mali’s territorial integrity and exhorts all parties in the north to ensure the safety and security of Mali’s northern populations. As civilian leadership is restored, we also urge all armed rebels to engage in dialogue with civilian leaders in Bamako to find a non-violent path forward for national elections and a peaceful coexistence.