UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council urged the government of Mali and armed groups Tuesday to accelerate implementation of a 2015 peace agreement and called for “the swift liberation” of kidnapped opposition leader Soumaila Cisse. The council also called on Mali's government “to enhance its efforts to stem violence in the center” of the country and ensure that those responsible for human rights abuses and violations of international law are brought to justice. The statement was issued after the Security Council held its first open meeting in nearly four week using video conferencing because of the coronavirus pandemic. For the first time since March 12, members of the media and the public watched as the council received a video briefing by the U.N. envoy for Mali, Mahamat Saleh Annadif. Annadif said Mali had recorded 46 positive cases of COVID-19 disease, including one member of the U.N. peacekeeping force, and five deaths.

Source: International New York Times April 08, 2020 03:11 UTC