UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report released on Monday that insecurity in central Mali is being driven by the extremist groups Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which continue to threaten populated areas in the northern regions of Gao and Menaka and drive people to flee their areas.
Mr. Guterres added that these incidents of violence have become increasingly frequent. Thus, the majority of human rights violations are caused by violent extremist groups.
The UN official stressed in the same report that in order to restore security, there would be future military operations to combat extremist groups.
The UN peacekeeping force said that attacks by terrorist groups against civilians remain a daily reality, giving the example of attacks against the Malian Defence and Security Forces and MINUSMA.
The Secretary-General stressed that the ultimate success of the fight against extremist groups will depend on the extent to which operations are accompanied by efforts “to ensure respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, foster social cohesion, address structural fragility and provide basic services.