Mali govt, rebels hold peace talks in Algeria
The Mali government and rebel groups begin meetings yesterday in Algiers to hash out a final peace arrangement a year after returning to democracy.
The talks - which include African mediators - come amid this month’s escalation of violence in the north, in violation of a May ceasefire.
French President Francois Hollande heads to West Africa today with stops in Niger and Chad to hold talks with his counterparts on the operation and is expected to flesh out his new counter-terrorism strategy in the Sahel - which will replace the current French troop presence in northern Mali.
In May, Mali’s army suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hand of Tuareg separatists after an attempt to seize their stronghold Kidal. Last week more than 35 people were killed in clashes between the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad rebels and the MAA, the Arab Movement of Azawad. On Monday a suicide attack against a French army patrol killed one soldier and injured six.
The talks in Algeria are the first real effort to bring Mali’s factions together to draw a road map on how to resolve differences.
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has signalled he is willing to compromise, but has ruled out any final deal which threatens Mali’s territorial integrity or secularism.
To underscore this, al-Qaidalinked Islamist separatists groups - which occupied northern Mali in 2012 before being ousted by a French military offensive - have been excluded from negotiations.
Mediators from the African Union (AU) among other African groups will be facilitating these difficult talks.
Issaka Souare, the special adviser to the head of the AU mission, told VOA he is optimistic that the best would be done to ensure that the meeting reach a conclusive agreement.