The Secretary-General met today in Addis Ababa with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali, Mr. Abdoulaye Diop.

The Secretary-General deplored the recent incidents in Gao, in Northern Mali, and reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to work closely with the Malian Government to establish the facts surrounding these incidents. The Secretary-General encouraged the Malian Government to continue to demonstrate its leadership and constructive engagement in the peace process, ahead of the next round of inter-Malian talks in Algiers, in early February.

They agreed on the need for the United Nations and the Malian Government to intensify their efforts in order to address outstanding challenges in the peace process. The Minister reiterated in that regard the support of his Government for the United Nations Multidimensional Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

The Secretary-General commended the Malian leadership for its management of the Ebola crisis and  encouraged the Government to pursue and enhance its prevention efforts.