AU wants UN approval for intervention force to fight insurgents in Mali

[Ghost Dog]

Source: Business Day (Johannesburg)

by Elissa Jobson, noviembre 16 2012, 09:45

ADDIS ABABA — THE African Union (AU) this week urgently sought the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s full support for a proposed intervention force to fight Islamist insurgents occupying northern Mali. The AU submitted a plan for military intervention in Mali to the UN secretary-general on Tuesday evening, well in advance of the 45-day deadline set by the UN on October 12. AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra said he hoped to see a Security Council resolution before the end of the year...

... The AU has urged the Security Council to give its full support to the proposal and has called for the authorisation of an initial one-year mandate for the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (Afisma), the new name for the proposed military intervention force.

There is some disagreement as to when troops from Afisma would be ready to be deployed. Ecowas commission president Kadre Desire Ouedraogo told reporters on Tuesday at a conference in Paris: "The force is quite ready. When the UN gives the green light, the deployment will begin immediately."

But UN special envoy Romano Prodi said that Afisma would not be deployed immediately, saying, "You need a long time to prepare a military operation." Security experts and observers agree with Mr Prodi’s assessment, saying that it may take months before a force is ready to retake the north...

Read more: http://www.bdlive.co.za/world/africa/2012/11/16/au-wants-un-approval-for-intervention-force-to-fight-insurgents-in-mali

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More, including:

- EU group endorses training mission for Mali
- Diplomats Hint At European Union Military Intervention In Mali

See here: - http://www.democraticunderground.com/1133858

[Ghost Dog]

1. A little more information:

http://imgur.com/kiGCw

Humm.

http://www.taragalte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=5&lang=en



"Rousing desert rhythms brought to life the oasis of M'Hamid, last stop in Morocco before the vast empty wastes of the Sahara, as musicians from across the region descended on the dunes."

AIM OF THE FESTVAL

- celebrating the quotidian life of the Saharan women

- preserving the fragile environment of the desert

- promoting the ancestral heritage of nomads around the world

- creating a cultural exchange between different communities

- encouraging the development of sustainable tourism

- manifesting a respect for diversity through music and art

Ojo:

[Posteritatis]

2. This one's been building up since around September

ECOWAS proposed an intervention, the AU started taking it up to the UN, and I think the P5 committed to approving a Chapter Seven action upon receipt of a good-looking AU plan.

Is sort of nice to see one of those happen in about the most multilateral way possible, and by and large for the right reasons.

[Ghost Dog]

3. Yeah... Chapter 7... Hell...

CHAPTER VII: ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THREATS TO THE PEACE, BREACHES OF THE PEACE, AND ACTS OF AGGRESSION

Article 39

The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Article 40

In order to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council may, before making the recommendations or deciding upon the measures provided for in Article 39, call upon the parties concerned to comply with such provisional measures as it deems necessary or desirable. Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or position of the parties concerned. The Security Council shall duly take account of failure to comply with such provisional measures.

Article 41

The Security Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures. These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations.

Article 42

Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.

Article 43

All Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to make available to the Security Council, on its call and in accordance with a special agreement or agreements, armed forces, assistance, and facilities, including rights of passage, necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.
Such agreement or agreements shall govern the numbers and types of forces, their degree of readiness and general location, and the nature of the facilities and assistance to be provided.
The agreement or agreements shall be negotiated as soon as possible on the initiative of the Security Council. They shall be concluded between the Security Council and Members or between the Security Council and groups of Members and shall be subject to ratification by the signatory states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes.

Article 44

When the Security Council has decided to use force it shall, before calling upon a Member not represented on it to provide armed forces in fulfilment of the obligations assumed under Article 43, invite that Member, if the Member so desires, to participate in the decisions of the Security Council concerning the employment of contingents of that Member's armed forces.

Article 45

In order to enable the United Nations to take urgent military measures, Members shall hold immediately available national air-force contingents for combined international enforcement action. The strength and degree of readiness of these contingents and plans for their combined action shall be determined within the limits laid down in the special agreement or agreements referred to in Article 43, by the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee.

Article 46

Plans for the application of armed force shall be made by the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee.

Article 47

There shall be established a Military Staff Committee to advise and assist the Security Council on all questions relating to the Security Council's military requirements for the maintenance of international peace and security, the employment and command of forces placed at its disposal, the regulation of armaments, and possible disarmament.
The Military Staff Committee shall consist of the Chiefs of Staff of the permanent members of the Security Council or their representatives. Any Member of the United Nations not permanently represented on the Committee shall be invited by the Committee to be associated with it when the efficient discharge of the Committee's responsibilities requires the participation of that Member in its work.
The Military Staff Committee shall be responsible under the Security Council for the strategic direction of any armed forces placed at the disposal of the Security Council. Questions relating to the command of such forces shall be worked out subsequently.
The Military Staff Committee, with the authorization of the Security Council and after consultation with appropriate regional agencies, may establish regional sub-committees.

Article 48

The action required to carry out the decisions of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security shall be taken by all the Members of the United Nations or by some of them, as the Security Council may determine.
Such decisions shall be carried out by the Members of the United Nations directly and through their action in the appropriate international agencies of which they are members.

Article 49

The Members of the United Nations shall join in affording mutual assistance in carrying out the measures decided upon by the Security Council.

Article 50

If preventive or enforcement measures against any state are taken by the Security Council, any other state, whether a Member of the United Nations or not, which finds itself confronted with special economic problems arising from the carrying out of those measures shall have the right to consult the Security Council with regard to a solution of those problems.

Article 51

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

/.. http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter7.shtml

Edit: Should apply equally to all, eg. non-rule-of-law-abinding Xtians, Jews, whoever...

regardless of money. Or, is that some kind of weird 'taliban' attitude..?

[Ghost Dog]

4. This:

Last edited Fri Nov 16, 2012, 11:38 PM - Edit history (1)

Edit (yeah, selected. Argue, whoever wants to, from your point of view)...



...The attack occurred in an area of Musa Qala district which is almost totally under Taliban control and Afghan officials said an investigation into the deaths was being hampered because they could not reach the area.

Nematullah Khan, governor of Musa Qala, said the Taliban had tried to stop the party. “They were having a music party and the Taliban came and killed them and cut off their heads,” he said.

Shooting was heard at the scene, he said, and it was unclear if they had been shot dead first...



For. Playing. Music.

&feature=related

Fine music. Great souls.

The guitar, historically, of course, is Spanish/Arabic/Flamnco

/Gitano/Other influences....