The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon [official website] released a statement [text] on Friday condemning the recent fighting in Kidal, Mali [UN News Centre report]. The fighting arose at the end of last week between the Platform Movement and the Coordination of movements of Azawad (CMA), two signatories to the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. The Secretary General, along with the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) [official website], are calling for restored peace [MINUSMA statement] after this first violation of the country’s ceasefire in September 2015.

Mali has been facing a humanitarian crisis since 2012 that has raised grave international concerns. Most recently, in April 2015 Ban Ki-Moon expressed concern [JURIST report] over attacks in Mali in which members of MINUSMA were specifically targeted, resulting in numerous casualties. In May 2012 Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] released a report saying that Mali was facing its worst human rights crisis [JURIST report] since it gained independence in 1960. Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] released a similar report in April 2012 claiming that all sides to the conflict are committing war crimes [JURIST report]. Also in April 2012 the International Criminal Court (ICC) said they would monitor the situation [JURIST report] in Mali for potential crimes under the ICC’s jurisdiction. The turmoil began when Taureg rebels attacked Malian soldiers [Al Jazeera report]. Many in the international community expressed concern [JURIST report] over the situation, including Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. All of this came after Malian soldiers took control of the government [JURIST report] and suspended the constitution in March 2012.