In Mali, the President of the Republic has underscored that the French interv...

In Mali, the President of the Republic has underscored that the French intervention was in fact also based on the need to defend the rights of female victims of violence. The deployment of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the political process currently under way and the elections to come will, we hope, assist in re-establishing peace and stability in the country. However, the sexual violence committed by armed groups in the north in 2012 has traumatized Malian society. Justice must be pursued for all victims of sexual violence. They must be provided with psychological and legal assistance. The Malian authorities, with the support of the United Nations and the ICC, cannot avoid that issue.