UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for accountability following a “despicable” terrorist attack in Mali.
Mali’s transitional military government said on Thursday that it would allow political parties to resume operations after a three-month suspension.
The ministry said maintaining normal diplomatic ties with the West African country would become more difficult.
Mali’s security situation remains volatile and marked by pockets of terrorist violence with devastating consequences for civilians.
The UN chief also recalled that attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.
Mali is struggling to stem an Islamist insurgency that took root after a 2012 coup and has since spread from the West African country’s arid north.
Since the most recent coup, the country has been led by a transitional military regime.
Mali has relied on regional allies and peacekeepers for a decade to contain an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands of people.
The situation in Mali continues to justify sustained international attention and engagement, a top UN official El-Ghassim Wane told the Security Council
The suspension began on July 14, four days after the Malian government arrested 49 Cote d’Ivoire soldiers for illegally entering the country, calling them “mercenaries.”
