OHCHR welcomes peace, reconciliation agreement in Mali

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday welcomed the signing in Bamako, Mali last Saturday of the peace and reconciliation agreement by the Mali rebel group Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA).

"Particularly welcome is the stipulation in the agreement that amnesty law may not be passed for serious human rights violations. International law and UN policy are clear that amnesties are not permissible if they prevent prosecutions of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and gross violations of human rights," spokesperson for the OHCHR, Ravina Shamdasani, told a press conference.

Shamdasani said any amnesty may also not restrict the rights of victims to an effective remedy and reparation.

In a similar vein, the OHCHR welcomed the proposed establishment of an international commission to investigate allegations of such crimes.

The UN human rights body urged all parties to see to it that the agreement is implemented in good faith. The organization will continue to provide advice to the international follow-up committee on human rights issues, as well as assistance to the government of Mali for transitional justice, justice sector reform and other relevant areas.

"We hope that the Malian people, who have suffered grave human rights abuses and violations over the past three years, will be able to see immediate results, with an end to fighting, killings, arbitrary arrests and mass displacement," Shamdasani added.

According to the OHCHR, while major security challenges remain in the far north of the country due to the existence of violent extremist groups and drug traffickers, the peace deal ought to bring some measure of calm, some restoration of law and order, and enable badly-needed economic development. Endit