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Netherlands' Role in Mali Stability Efforts

The document outlines the socio-political instability in Mali following a military coup in 2012 and the subsequent challenges of organized crime and corruption. It discusses the European Union's support for Mali's recovery and development, focusing on political dialogue and security cooperation. The Netherlands' contribution to the UN's stabilization mission in Mali, including military and police training efforts, is also highlighted, with plans to phase out their involvement by mid-2019.

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10 views2 pages

Netherlands' Role in Mali Stability Efforts

The document outlines the socio-political instability in Mali following a military coup in 2012 and the subsequent challenges of organized crime and corruption. It discusses the European Union's support for Mali's recovery and development, focusing on political dialogue and security cooperation. The Netherlands' contribution to the UN's stabilization mission in Mali, including military and police training efforts, is also highlighted, with plans to phase out their involvement by mid-2019.

Uploaded by

aaravkumar162008
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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POSITION PAPER

DELEGATE NAME: ABC


SCHOOL: DPS Bangalore South
COUNTRY: The Netherlands
COMMITTEE: United Nations Security Council

AGENDA: Curbing socio-political instability in Mali whilst

dealing with European intervention in the region.

During the night between 21 and 22 March 2012, a group of young military officers overthrew Mali’s
president, Amadou Toumani Touré. The group justified the coup by citing the inability of the regime to both
deal with the crisis in the North and provide the army with the appropriate material and manpower to defend
the national territory. The coup plunged Mali into violence, and caused a de facto partition of the country.
The socio-political turmoil pitting different political and armed factions against each other has continued
unabated and has been accompanied by intense mass media debates

The corruption, cronyism and inequality that have deeply penetrated Malian society over the years are at the
same time causes and consequences of the expansion of illicit trafficking and organized crime. Although
widespread, organized crime in Mali is difficult to pin down, as affiliation is often opportunistic, where the
members are generally free to leave without sanction, and the Malian legislation does not provide for a
specific offence to sanction it. Furthermore, the trade of all kinds, and of licit goods in particular (such as
fuel, subsidized foodstuff and cigarettes), has been an integral part of the economic and livelihood structure
of the local populations for a long time. It often represents a rare source of revenue in a region characterized
by geographical enclosure, endemic conflict, entrenched poverty and the ravaging impact of the
environmental crises.

Over the decades and successive partnership agreements, the collaboration between Mali and the EU has
been covering aspects such as political dialogue, security and trade. In the face of a political and security
situation that has been unstable for several years, the European Union (the EU) is supporting the
Government with a view to a recovery strategy and is guiding Mali on the path to sustainable development.

The EU’s current cooperation strategies with Mali as regards the European Development Fund (EDF) are
mainly focused on political and economic governance, strengthening institutional capacities and regional
integration.

 In the political domain, the collaboration encompasses:


 Political support for the peace and reconciliation talks in Mali and for modernization of the State;
 Consideration of the regional dynamics affecting Mali, notably with regard to security issues.

Relations between the European Union and the African continent are based on mutual respect and solidarity.
Their objective, through dialogue and a multidimensional partnership, is to improve the well-being of
populations, this being based on good governance and the Rule of Law, and on optimizing the impact of
trade and investment as methods of reducing poverty and promoting economic and social development
(conclusions of the fourth EU-Africa summit of Heads of State and Government, 2-3 April 2014, Brussels).
The United Nations are committed to helping restore security and stability in Mali. Their instrument for this
is the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (Minusma).The Netherlands will be
contributing to this mission until the end of 2018.

The Dutch contingent in Mali is mainly involved in conducting reconnaissance and gathering intelligence,
serving, as it were, as the 'eyes and ears' of the mission.

The UN operation's primary objective is to restore security and stability in Mali and to protect the civilian
population. The Dutch contribution chiefly consists of:

 long-range reconnaissance personnel;


 intelligence personnel;
 Police trainers.

The commander of Minusma leads the Dutch forces from mission headquarters in Bamako. Staff officers
have also been deployed to ensure that the planning runs smoothly. In addition, a number of military
specialists have been sent to Mali to assist in, among other things, electronic warfare, explosive ordnance
disposal, logistics, communications and medical tasks.

Besides military personnel, 30 police officers and several civilian experts have been deployed to the
Minusma mission in Mali. They are training the Malian police force, as well as contributing to the
development of the judicial system and reform of the security sector.

The Netherlands has been active in Mali for 4 years. However, we want to expand military activities in
Afghanistan and therefore have to phase out the activities in [Link] principle the current Dutch contribution
will end on 31st December. But, we will leave by mid-2019, after making sure that another country will take
over the duties which are currently being fulfilled by the Dutch soldiers.

Common questions

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Minusma is crucial for restoring security and stability in Mali and protecting civilians. Its importance lies in providing reconnaissance and intelligence, training police, and assisting in judicial and security reforms. The Netherland’s contribution as 'eyes and ears' further underscores Minusma's role in managing conflict zones effectively .

The collaboration involves direct political dialogue and security measures, which contribute to regional stability by addressing cross-border threats, enhancing institutional security capacities, and fostering reconciliation efforts. This impacts positively on regional security dynamics .

The main causes of the 2012 military coup in Mali were the alleged inability of President Amadou Toumani Touré's regime to handle the crisis in the north and the failure to provide the military with necessary resources for defense. The consequences included violence and a de facto partition of the country, with ongoing socio-political turmoil involving various factions and a deepening of issues such as corruption, cronyism, and organized crime .

The Netherlands faces the challenge of balancing its military resources as it plans to expand activities in Afghanistan, necessitating the phasing out of its Mali commitments. This requires ensuring a smooth transition of responsibilities to another country before mid-2019 .

Organized crime has deeply affected the socio-economic landscape in Mali by expanding corruption and opportunistic affiliations, complicating enforcement due to the lack of specific legal sanctions. It intertwines with the trade of both licit and illicit goods, which serve as vital revenue sources in conflict-stricken areas .

The European Development Fund focuses on enhancing political and economic governance, strengthening institutional capacities, and promoting regional integration as part of its cooperation strategy with Mali .

Environmental crises exacerbate Mali's socio-economic difficulties by limiting economic opportunities and resources, which are already scarce due to geographical and conflict-related constraints. This aggravates poverty, increases reliance on trade of subsidized goods, and intertwines with organized crime as a survival mechanism .

Governance and rule of law are crucial for the EU's partnership with African nations, including Mali, as they form the basis for effective dialogue and multidimensional cooperation aimed at improving populations' well-being, reducing poverty, and fostering economic development .

The Dutch forces play a critical role by conducting reconnaissance, gathering intelligence, and training police officers within the Minusma mission. They also contribute to the development of the judicial system and security sector reforms, highlighting their integral role in stabilizing Mali .

The European Union has engaged with Mali by providing political support for peace and reconciliation talks, guiding Mali towards sustainable development, and supporting modernization of the state. It focuses on governance, institutional capacity strengthening, and dealing with regional security issues .

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