Abuja - Nigeria — ECOWAS warmly welcomes the adoption by the United Nations Security Council, at its meeting on 20 December 2012, of the resolution authorizing the deployment of the African-led International Support Mission (AFISMA) in Mali under the provisions of Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

ECOWAS also welcomes the decision to set up a trust fund and to mobilize international financial, technical, and logistical resources, in support of AFISMA. The adoption of Resolution 2085 (2012) marks a defining moment in the coordinated international efforts to assist Mali to re-establish the unity and territorial integrity of the country, dismantle terrorist and criminal networks in the north, and to restore full constitutional order through the holding of free, fair, and transparent elections. It also paves the way for concerted international efforts to eliminate the serious threat posed by Al- Qaida in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement of Unity and Jihad in Western Africa (MUJWA), and affiliated terrorist groups, to regional and international peace and security.

ECOWAS expresses sincere gratitude to the members of the Security Council for taking this important decision. It applauds the determination and unity of purpose demonstrated by ECOWAS Member States, the neighboring countries, the African Union, the United Nations, and other partners, in particular the EU, France, and the US, since the outbreak of the security and institutional crises in Mali, and which have culminated in the unanimous adoption of the landmark resolution. ECOWAS is determined to play its full role in the process and will immediately initiate consultations with Mali, Member States, the African Union, the United Nations, and all other concerned partners, towards the expeditious and full implementation of Resolution 2085 (2012). Kadré Désiré OUEDRAOGO President of the Commission