New York - The United Nations Security Council has expressed grave concern over the
reported military movements and attacks by terrorist and extremist groups in
northern Mali, in particular their capture of the city of Konna.

"This serious deterioration of the situation threatens even more the stability
and integrity of Mali and constitutes a direct threat to international peace and
security," the members of the Council added in a press statement issued on
Thursday night, after a briefing on the situation from the UN
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman.

According to media reports, on Thursday, Islamist rebels seized control of Konna
-- a city of 50,000 people some 700 kilometres north-east of the capital, Bamako.

Northern Mali has been occupied by radical Islamists after fighting broke out in
January 2012 between Government forces and Tuareg rebels -- just one of several
security, political and humanitarian problems the West African nation has been
dealing with since last year.

The renewed clashes in the north, as well as the proliferation of armed groups
in the region, drought and political instability in the wake of a military coup
d'état in March have uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians. Over 412,000
people have been forced to flee the country's north, and an estimated five
million people have been affected by the conflict.

The Malian Government and rebel groups are expected to meet for peace talks in
Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, on 21 January.

In their press statement, the Council members recalled their resolutions 2056,
2071 and 2085 -- which dealt with the situation in Mali and were adopted under
Chapter VII of the UN Charter -- as well as the "urgent" need to counter the
increasing terrorist threat in Mali.

Chapter VII of the UN Charter allows the Council to use force in the face of a
threat to peace or aggression. One of key elements of the 15-member body's
response to the situation in Mali, contained in its resolutions, has been the
creation of an international military force to help restore the unity of the West African nation.

With resolution 2085, adopted in December last year, the Council authorized the
deployment of that international military force -- the African-led International
Support Mission in Mali, to be known as AFISMA -- for an initial period of one year.
 
"The members of the Security Council reiterate their call to Member States to
assist the settlement of the crisis in Mali and, in particular, to provide
assistance to the Malian Defence and Security Forces in order to reduce the
threat posed by terrorist organizations and associated groups," the Council members said.

"The members of the Security Council express their determination to pursue the
full implementation of its resolutions on Mali, in particular resolution 2085 in
all its dimensions," the Council members added. "In this context, they call for
a rapid deployment of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali."

Echoing comments made by a spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on
Thursday, the Council members also called for the immediate issuance of an
agreed political roadmap, "which includes serious negotiations with
non-extremist Malians in the north and presses for the full restoration of democratic governance.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, is
continuing his efforts to support the political talks in Mali, including on the
establishment of an inclusive national dialogue and the development of a roadmap for transition.

According to the Council's resolution 2085, AFISMA is tasked with contributing
to the rebuilding of the Malian Defence and Security Forces, as well as
supporting the Malian authorities in "recovering the areas in the north under
the control of terrorist, extremist and armed groups and in reducing the threat
posed by terrorist groups."

In addition, it will be responsible for, amongst other tasks, supporting the
Malian authorities in their primary responsibility to protect the population and
to create a secure environment for the civilian-led delivery of humanitarian
assistance and the voluntary return of internally displaced persons and refugees.