Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

On 11 January French forces launched an attack on extremist groups that had terrorised northern Mali for nearly a year. As the jihadists were driven out of Timbuktu they destroyed priceless manuscripts, some from the 13th century. Their atrocities also included extrajudicial executions, rape, the recruitment of child soldiers and an extreme interpretation of Shari law. For example, there was television footage last week of a veiled woman crouching in the desert sand in northern Mali, being flogged by an extremist group.

The UN estimates that more than 225,000 persons are internally displaced, almost 145,000 Malians are refugees and 4.3 million people need assistance. Destabilised by years of poverty, weak governance and environmental degradation, and flush with weapons from Libya, Mali is at risk of becoming a haven for terrorists and for networks of organised crime. Australia has welcomed and supported the French intervention and recent successes in pushing back these extremist forces. African forces, under the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, AFISMA, are being deployed to take over from the French. US Vice-President Biden, in a press conference on 4 February with French President Hollande, said, 'The US agreed on the need to transition these military operations into a UN peacekeeping mission as soon as it was prudent.'

We welcome the recent framework for dialogue and elections. We call on leaders in Bamako and progressive elements to the north to embrace negotiations in good faith. There is a need for a political road map that offers people who are non-violent and non-extremists that opportunity to join the political process in this country. When I meet Mali's ambassador to Australia later today I will repeat our call for all sides— (Time expired)