Peace talks
MALI: Peace negotiations must make sure that serious crimes are prosecuted, HRW and FIDH say
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the draft agreement to end the violence in northern Mali called “Elements for a peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali”, does not adequately address the prosecution of serious international crimes committed by all parties. The organisation points out that previous peace agreements to stop violence in the country allowed impunity and weakened the rule of law. HRW recommends that the final agreement states clearly that no immunity will be given to people who committed crimes; calls for investigations of all international humanitarian law violations; provides details on an international commission of inquiry; supports the establishment of mobile testimony gathering units; strengthens an independent Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, and ensures the vetting of security force personnel involved in serious human rights abuses. Similarly, a meeting held by the Fédération Internationale pour les Droits de l’Homme (FIDH) has drawn up a roadmap for reconciliation, requesting that the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (CVJR) created in January 2014 listen to victims of all forms of political repression and grave violations of human rights, and that amnesty be forbidden. CVJR members should be chosen for their competence, independence, impartiality and fairness, excluding members of the armed forces, security services, armed groups, and political leaders, and it should be composed of an equal number of men and women. Crimes perpetrated in the 2012-2013 armed conflict include summary executions, looting, pillage, sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, amputations, destruction of shrines, enforced disappearances and torture. The Malian government and certain opposition armed groups started in November 2014 their fourth round of “inter-Malian dialogue”. Although this round has finalized without reaching any agreement, conversations will restart in January 2015. (HRW, 10/11/14; FIDH, 14/11/14; MaliWeb, 28/11/14)