Mali readmitted into African Union
African Union (A.U.) readmitted Mali after a meeting of the A.U. Peace and Security Council [AUPSC].
Why Mali’s membership was annulled?
- Mali’s membership was suspended by the African Union after a coup in the country in March 2012 when a military junta seized power even as two thirds of Mali slipped into the control of a coalition of armed groups and organized gangs.
- The military junta behind the power seize had claimed that the existing dispensation was unable to tackle the insurgents in the north.
- Since then, the junta has allowed for a transitional all-party government and has urged for pan-African assistance to re-establish control of its territory.
What is the stand of AUPSC?
- The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) backed a comprehensive plan to stabilize Mali using an African-led international force to end the conflict, and to re-establish a democratic government by holding free and transparent elections in the first quarter of 2013.
What is the problem in Northern Mali?
- Northern Mali has continuously slipped into disorder since late 2011, when gangs involved in smuggling and drug trafficking struck up alliances with a variety of armed groups such as Tuareg combatants, some from Libyan Army of the Qadhafi regime, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
- As per to A.U. reports, the hard-line Islamist groups, supported by drug traffickers, like the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), appear to have dominance in the region.
- The conflict has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Month: Current Affairs - October, 2012
Category: International / World Current Affairs