Ioannis Kasoulides, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, the case of the recent coup d’état in Mali highlights the important role played in recent times by peripheral African organisations – in this case, ECOWAS – in exerting pressure on their peers to restore constitutional order and pluralistic democracy. Coups d’état are no longer acceptable to African countries themselves. A similar role was played by ECOWAS in the case of Côte d’Ivoire.

Of more concern though – for Africa but also for the security and stability of Europe itself – are the developments in Northern Mali. Heavily-armed and battle-hardened Tuareg militias – which served as mercenaries in support of Gaddafi and constitute an Islamist fundamentalist movement supported by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – have managed to take advantage of the situation and take over the towns of Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao, unilaterally seceding and declaring the independent state of Azawad.

Such a development is against international law. Such non-recognised territories become safe havens for international criminals, terrorists and al-Qaeda followers, and would certainly be a destabilising factor for the whole of Western Africa from the Maghreb to Mauritania, Niger and the whole Sahel – an area known for kidnappings and lawlessness in the past.

We have to be very clear: we support the territorial integrity and unity of Mali, and any secession or unilateral declaration of independence is unacceptable. We have to support the constitutional President Dioncounda Traoré in order to restore the unity and territorial integrity of Mali, and I am glad – Madam Vice-President/High Representative – that you made this very clear.