A/HRC/23/57 deployed a sizeable gendarme detachment to assume responsibility for interviewing individuals arrested during the military operations and taking action in cases of abuse committed by military officers during the military operations. 60. The Government has also set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the human rights violations that have been committed throughout the country. In addition, a joint MaliMauritania commission of inquiry was established in September 2012 to investigate the killing of 13 Malian and Mauritanian preachers by the Malian army in Diabali. However, so far there has been no judicial follow-up to these initiatives. 61. Responding to the need for inclusive dialogue to find a way out of the crisis, by Decree No. 2013-212/P-RM of 6 March 2013, the Government established the National Commission for Dialogue and Reconciliation. The Commission has a two-year mandate and the following vast remit: (i) to collect information about the political and social forces affected by the dialogue and reconciliation process; (ii) to identify the armed groups eligible to take part in the dialogue under the terms of the transitional road map; (iii) to register cases of human rights violations committed in the country since the start of the hostilities and until the entire country is fully secured; (iv) to come up with ways and means to mitigate the trauma suffered by victims; (v) to identify and advise on the implementation of measures to strengthen social cohesion and national unity; (vi) to highlight the benefits of dialogue and peace; (vii) to encourage the emergence of a national conscience and a commitment to the general interest on the part of all Malian citizens; and, (viii) to promote the country’s democratic, social and cultural values, including, in particular, respect for the right to be different. 62. The members of the National Commission for Dialogue and Reconciliation were appointed by the interim President of the Republic by Decree No. 2013-325/P-RM of 10 April 2013 and assumed their duties on 25 April 2013. In addition to the fact that the Commission’s mandate appears not to be in step with the guiding principles of transitional justice processes,6 its composition has been criticized by some political figures and sections of civil society. The Commission has 33 members and its considerable size could hamper its efficiency. At this stage, the Commission looks to be a primarily political body tasked with finding a path to reconciliation through inclusive dialogue between all Malian communities. Its duties in relation to human rights and transitional justice appear to be limited.7 63. For this reason it is important to have more clarity about the Malian authorities’ view of transitional justice so that the country’s technical and financial partners are able to provide better support for the process, which, if carried out in accordance with international standards and best practice in this field, could help to clarify the facts about alleged human rights violations, to heal the wounds and to strengthen social cohesion. 64. On the judicial front, in response to the human rights violations committed by armed groups and in view of the physical impossibility of deploying the judicial machinery in the northern region, the judicial powers that had formerly been devolved to the regions of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu were transferred to the Public Prosecutor of Commune III of Bamako by a decision of the Supreme Court of 21 January 2013. As of the date of submission of this report, there have still been no credible investigations into the allegations of rape, in spite of 6 7 14 Essentially, establishment of the truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights made a preliminary analysis of Decree No. 2013-212/P-RM of 6 March 2013 concerning the establishment, organization and working methods of the National Commission for Dialogue and Reconciliation which has been submitted to the Minister of Justice of Mali. GE.13-15228