New York, Mar 23 2012 5:10PM
The United Nations refugee agency is monitoring developments in Mali following the announcement that parts of its military forces had taken control of the country.
"Thus far we are not seeing new population movement either inside the country or to neighbouring countries, but we continue to follow the situation closely," said a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Adrian Edwards, at a press briefing in Geneva today.
Earlier this week, UN officials and the Security Council condemned a rebellion by elements of the Malian armed forces, which announced the dissolution of the Government and seized control of the country, and called for a return to constitutional rule.
Mr. Edwards said a concern for UNHCR is the potential for continued political uncertainty to create further population movements at a time when there is already considerable displacement inside and beyond Mali's borders.
"We are revising our contingency plans to allow us to respond to possible new influxes in surrounding countries," Mr. Edwards said.
Thousands of people have fled Mali since mid-January, following fighting between a rebel movement and Malian forces in the north of the country. Inside Mali, displaced people are living in difficult conditions in villages and temporary sites and dependant on the generosity of host communities.
Mr. Edwards said that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, will be visiting Mauritania over the next days to attend a ceremony marking the end of the voluntary repatriation from Senegal to Mauritania, and to recognise the efforts that have been undertaken to support the asylum process over the years. While there, he will also assess the situation in connection with the influx of persons affected by the developments in Mali.
Mar 23 2012 5:10PM
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