UN chief warns of "high risk" of atrocities in Mali

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warns of a "high risk" of atrocities in Mali in a report calling for strengthening the UN peacekeeping presence in the country. center of the country torn apart by conflict.

In the report to the Security Council obtained by AFP, António Guterres said he was "appalled" by the upsurge of violence and called on the government to strengthen its response to extremist groups.

"If these problems are not resolved, there is a high risk of escalation that could lead to the commission of heinous crimes," wrote Guterres in a report sent to council on Friday.

At least 157 people, including 46 children, were mbadacred in the central village of Ogossagou on March 23, during raids by extremists fueling tensions between communities.

In the face of deteriorating security, Guterres recommended that the United Nations peacekeeping force, known as MINUSMA, not be reduced, despite calls by the United States for 39, a reduction in blue helmet missions around the world.

The MINUSMA mission should be extended for one year with a troop ceiling of 13,289, unchanged, as well as a maximum deployment of 1,920 police officers, the report says.

About 14,700 soldiers and police are currently deployed in Mali, making it the most dangerous mission of the UN; 125 peacekeepers have been killed in attacks since their deployment in 2013.

Guterres urged MINUSMA to reinforce its presence in the center of the country, where the attacks were the most deadly, by deploying one or two police units, about 280 police officers.

In addition, a UN camp in northern Mali could be handed over to Malian forces, freeing up 650 people to reinforce in the central region of Mopti, the report said.

The council is expected to vote on the renewal of MINUSMA's mandate on 27 June.

MINUSMA was created following the capture of the north of the country by radical Islamist militias in 2012. It was repulsed by the French troops in 2013.

A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups aimed at restoring stability. But the agreement failed to stop the violence.