Mali: independent expert to assess the human rights situation

French

GENEVA / BAMAKO (1 February 2019) - The UN Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Mali, Alioune Tine, will visit the country from 4 to 8 February 2019.

This visit follows the recent violence in the village of Koulogon-Peulh when armed groups attacked displaced person camps, killing 37 civilians, destroying and looting homes, and the overall deterioration in the security and human rights situation in the centre and north of the country.

He will assess efforts by the Mali government and international partners to protect human rights. The Independent Expert will focus on the situation of victims in this situation and the degree of inclusiveness in the implementation of the peace accord of 2015.   

M. Alioune Tine will also evaluate any achievements in the area of transitional justice since his last visit in June. He will also pay particular attention to the preparations for any public hearings and coordination of activities related to prosecution and truth seeking, reparations and institutional reforms.

During his 5-day mission to Bamako, M. Alioune Tine will meet with government, legislative and judicial authorities, civil society and victims' associations, non-governmental organisations, the diplomatic corps and the United Nations.

The Independent Expert will speak about his visit during an interactive dialogue in Geneva in March, 2019.

ENDS

Mr. Alioune Tine (Senegal) took office as independent expert on the human rights situation in Mali on 1 May 2018. The mandate of independent expert was renewed by the Human Rights Council on 23 March 2018 for a period of one year to assist the Government of Mali in its actions to promote and protect human rights and in the implementation of the recommendations made in Council resolutions. Mr. Tine was a founding member and President of the African Meeting for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO) and Coordinator of the Forum of African NGOs at the World Conference against Racism in 2000. Between 2014 and 2018 Mr. Tine was Amnesty International's Regional Director for West and Central Africa. He has published many articles and studies on literature and human rights.

The independent experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN human rights, country page - Mali

For additional information and media inquiries, please contact Mr. Brian Ruane (+41 22 928 9724 / bruane@ohchr.org).

In Bamako (during the visit): Guillaume Ngefa (+223 94950226 / ngefa@un.org).

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact:
Mr. Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org