UN special envoy says Mali elections in July will be difficult

Holding elections in Mali in July “is going to be difficult but desirable”, given the large number of displaced people and the adverse climate conditions, UN special envoy for the Sahel Romano Prodi told the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

He stressed that the French military intervention in Malia was “inevitable” but has not solved future non-military dilemmas, an EP statement here today noted.

Prodi underlined that the EU must not only provide sufficient funds for the development of Mali and neighbouring countries, but also “make major political commitments”.

He said the aim of the international community was “not to achieve the impossible but to create a situation in which the Sahel countries can work together, starting with economic development.”