On Wednesday, Russia, an ally of Mali, vetoed the decision of the United Nations Security Council to extend the sanctions against the African country, thus endangering peace in it.
The military junta that rules Mali has demanded that the sanctions be lifted.
The resolution, which would extend for one year the sanctions regime introduced in 2017 against individuals who threaten the 2015 peace agreement and the mandate of the committee of experts responsible for monitoring the sanctions, received 13 votes in favor, one abstention (China) and one vote against (Russia).
Russia first agreed to extend the sanctions, but only for the last time, but conditioned it on the request to dissolve the committee of experts whose objectivity is disputed by Moscow and Bamako.
The latest report of the committee of experts, published last Sunday, pointed to violence against women carried out in a "systematic and organized" manner by the armed forces of Mali and their "foreign security partners", who are believed to be members of the Russian "Wagner" group.
The sanctions regime (asset freeze or travel ban) was introduced in 2017 and applied to eight individuals, especially leaders of rebel groups signatories to the 2015 peace agreement, who were then accused of endangering it themselves.
Sanctions were demanded by the Malian government at the time, but the junta in power today calls for their abolition, claiming that "the struggles of the various signatory movements" have ended.
But in its latest report, the committee of experts noted "paralysis" in the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement.
Pointing to "rising tensions" among the groups that signed the agreement, the committee says it is concerned by reports that some of those groups have been arming themselves in fear of Mali's armed forces.
The concern was heightened by the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (Minusma), which was demanded by Bamako.
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