At the UN Security Council meeting on the events in Murrah on Tuesday 17 May 2023, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia, A. Evstigneeva, in her statement expressed Russia’s position on the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We see the report published by the OHCHR as another politically motivated attempt to discredit Malian efforts to combat extremism,” said Evstigneeva.
In this context, the Russian Federation recalled that the current high level of threats to the security and stability of the Sahel-Saharan region is a direct result of the Western military intervention in Libya in 2011 and the subsequent collapse of the Libyan state.
The Russian Permanent Representative said that Paris’ relentless and unilateral moves to replace the unwanted regime in Bamako are a blow to Africa’s collective efforts to achieve regional stability.
Speaking about the main role in maintaining peace and security in the Sahel, Moscow insisted that this role must belong to the states of the region, with the effective assistance of the international community. In doing so, it is important to note that international assistance to Sahelian states must be based on the principle of non-interference in their internal affairs, respect for national sovereignty and the principle of “African problems – African solutions”.
- Evstigneeva concluded by reiterating that Russia will continue to engage constructively in joint efforts to ensure the security of the Sahara and the Sahel.
“Russia will continue to assist countries in the region on a bilateral basis, including by building military capacity, training military and law enforcement personnel and providing humanitarian assistance,” the Permanent Representative stressed.
