A/HRC/40/77 44. In an attempt to deal with inter-community violence in Mopti Region, the Prime Minister announced several measures designed to build trust between the Fulani and Dogon communities, including the release of members of armed self-defence groups and the inclusion of those persons in a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. He wishes to stress that such measures should in no way be used to support impunity for the serious human rights violations committed in the context of intercommunal violence in central Mali. 45. The Independent Expert was informed that, on 28 August 2018, more than 30 village chiefs from the Fulani and Dogon communities signed a peace agreement calling for the demobilization of armed groups in Koro Cercle and requesting the support of the Government of Mali. He is concerned that, at the time of his mission, neither the Malian authorities nor the leaders of the l’Alliance pour le Salut au Sahel or other armed groups active in the area had responded to this call. 46. The Independent Expert notes that the involvement of armed groups in intercommunal violence contributes to the circumvention of the transitional justice process and mechanisms that have been used to resolve disputes. He welcomes the assistance provided by MINUSMA to the Ministry of Justice in organizing consultations in several population centres in Mali with a view to identifying areas where the justice system and traditional justice mechanisms can complement one another. Along these same lines, the start-up of a legislative process aimed at regulating the role of traditional mechanisms and their relationship with the judiciary is planned. C. The situation of women 47. The Independent Expert has repeatedly noted that the situation of women and girls in Mali remains a cause of concern. None of the perpetrators of the conflict-related sexual violence reported since 2014 has yet been brought to justice. Since 2014, he has been monitoring the cases of the 130 victims for whom a complaint has been filed by the coalition of six non-governmental victims’ rights organizations and notes that so far only 37 of those victims have had a hearing before a judge. 48. Several victims’ organizations and advocates raised the issue of the sexual violence and rapes being committed by armed men who target women using public transportation in Mopti and Timbuktu Regions. The absence of security forces in these areas is conducive to the continuation of this situation. 49. The Independent Expert welcomes the fact that the law adopted in 2015 which introduces measures for the promotion of gender equality in access to appointed and elected office was put into practice in September 2018 when the Prime Minister appointed women to 11 of his Government’s 32 ministerial posts. The Independent Expert also welcomes the fact that a woman figured among the 24 candidates in the presidential election. In addition, the percentage of women on communal councils increased from 8.6 to 25.59 per cent after the 2016 municipal and local elections. This is a very positive development. However, there has not been a notable increase in the participation of women in the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali emanating from the Algiers process. The Agreement Monitoring Committee, made up of 39 members of the Government and signatory movements, does not include a single woman. This situation must change if women’s concerns and needs are to be taken into account. 50. The Independent Expert notes that in Mali there is no law prohibiting gender-based violence. A bill on gender-based violence was, however, submitted to the Minister for the Advancement of Women and the Minister of Justice in July 2017. The passage of this bill into law is essential, not only in order to bolster the fight against impunity but also to ensure that comprehensive assistance is made available to victims. The Independent Expert welcomes the commitments made by Mali concerning this issue during its January 2018 review by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council. GE.19-00939 11