About the author(s):
Rogier is a researcher at the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA) and works at the Dutch National Prosecutor’s Office. He holds LL.M-degrees from Utrecht University and the University of Nottingham. Before taking up his current positions, he was an associate legal officer in Chambers at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and a legal adviser at the International Humanitarian Law Division of the Netherlands Red Cross.
Rogier is an adjunct-lecturer at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, where he teaches international humanitarian law, and he co-convenes the Hague Initiative for Law and Armed Conflict.
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The situation in Mali
News:
French airforce strike Mali rebel strongholds
Militants killed as French air strikes pound rebel camps
Malian rebels overrun garrison town and advance towards capital
In reaction to reports about civilians killed in air strikes in Konna Amnesty International urges parties to do the utmost to prevent civilian casualties.
Some background information:
- Al-Jazeera on the various armed groups in Mali : Making sense of Mali’s armed groups
- UN Security Council Resolution 2085 (20 December 2012), which determined “that the situation in Mali constitutes a threat to international peace and security”, and authorising the deployment of an African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA), “which shall take all necessary measures […][e.g.] to support the Malian authorities in recovering the areas in the north of its territory under the control of terrorist, extremist and armed groups and in reducing the threat posed by terrorist organizations, including AQIM, MUJWA and associated extremist groups”. However, also emphasising “that the military planning will need to be further refined before the commencement of the offensive operation and requests that the Secretary-General, in close coordination with Mali , ECOWAS, the African Union, the neighbouring countries of Mali, other countries in the region and all other interested bilateral partners and international organizations, continue to support the planning and the preparations for the deployment of AFISMA, regularly inform the Council of the progress of the process, and requests that the Secretary-General also confirm in advance the Council’s satisfaction with the planned military offensive operation”.