A/HRC/43/76 8. The Independent Expert notes that, while the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali is a good framework and a good mechanism for building peace, it is controversial for part of public opinion, including the political opposition, which boycotted the inclusive national dialogue. 9. The Independent Expert welcomes the establishment, on 5 May 2019, of a Government of inclusion. Some members of the opposition have joined the Government; notably the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Minister of Social Dialogue, Labour and the Civil Service and the Minister of National Education. The Independent Expert notes that the Government has 9 women ministers, compared to 11 in the previous cabinet. 10. The Government of Mali adopted a bill extending deputies’ mandates to 2 May 2020; it justified the postponement by the assessment of the political and security situation in the country, which highlights the continued challenges and constraints to the holding of fair and transparent legislative elections. The Independent Expert notes that the National Assembly approved the second extension of the deputies’ mandate on 27 June 2019 and that the Constitutional Court pronounced it constitutional on 3 July. 11. The Independent Expert notes that the Security Council, which conducted its fourth mission to Mali from 22 to 24 March 2019, is very committed in respect of the situation in the country and granted a one-year extension to the mandate of MINUSMA by its resolution 2480 (2019), adopted on 28 June 2019, and to the targeted sanctions regime concerning Mali, by its resolution 2484 (2019), adopted on 29 August 2019. The increased commitment from regional and subregional bodies is welcome. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held an extraordinary summit meeting on 14 September 2019 to consider the measures needed to improve the security situation in the Sahel region and West Africa in general, and adopted an eight-point action plan. The Chair of ECOWAS said that security management in Mali and in neighbouring countries required the involvement of all ECOWAS States. In November 2019, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union conducted a mission on the ground with the Political and Security Committee of the European Union to assess the situation in the region and identify the support needed for the promotion of peace and security and for stabilization in the Sahel region. B. The security situation 12. The Independent Expert notes with concern that the situation has been worsening in the centre and north of the country for the past five years and that there has been no adequate response to protect the civilian population. The situation is particularly difficult to accept given the presence of the international and national security forces. The Malian army continue to pay the heaviest price in human lives. In just the two months of October and November 2019, some 150 Malian soldiers were killed by armed terrorist groups that are well organized and directly target military camps to undermine the morale of troops. The state of emergency, which has been in force almost continuously since the November 2015 attack in Bamako, when armed men stormed the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, killing at least 20 people, was once again extended for a year from 31 October 2019. The state of emergency allows the security forces to carry out more searches and place restrictions on movement and gatherings, but the Independent Expert emphasizes that safeguards have been put in place to protect human rights. 13. Ambushes and the use of improvised explosive devices against the Malian defence and security forces, MINUSMA and international forces are one of the main threats to the peace process and to the protection of civilians. The Independent Expert has received numerous reports on the subject. The worst incident occurred on 3 September 2019, when an improvised explosive device hit a public transport vehicle on the Douentza-Boni road in Mopti region, killing at least 15 civilians, including 4 women, a girl and a boy, and injuring about 30 others, including women and children. The Malian defence and security forces and MINUSMA troops facilitated the medical evacuation of the injured to the hospital in Sévaré. The Independent Expert notes that, on 11 September 2019, the Group for the GE.20-00529 3