This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On September 29, 2019, the UN Security Council's approach to African problems was highlighted by its restraint in sending a peacekeeping force to Anglophone Cameroon and enforcing an arms embargo violation sanctions in Libya.
However, a recent development in Cameroon suggests that the UN's approach may be shifting. President Paul Biya has called for a national dialogue on Anglophone Cameroon, which has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Similar efforts are underway in Mali, where President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has reported progress in implementing a peace agreement signed in 2015. The agreement has led to the demobilization of over 2,500 ex-fighters and the establishment of a $72 million development zone in northern Mali.
Despite these successes, Mali continues to face a crisis in the central region, where terrorists and criminal gangs are active. UN Secretary-General Guterres has called for urgent support for countries in the Sahel region, which have been grappling with instability since 2012.
However, the UN's inaction in Libya has been criticized by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who accused the UAE, France, and Egypt of backing military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The conflict in Libya has been ongoing since April, with Haftar's Libyan National Army, backed by the US and Russia, launching an offensive on Tripoli.
