MALI-VIOLENCE/KIDAL UN to set up security zone around Kidal after militia battle with Tuaregs
Record ID:
143477
MALI-VIOLENCE/KIDAL UN to set up security zone around Kidal after militia battle with Tuaregs
- Title: MALI-VIOLENCE/KIDAL UN to set up security zone around Kidal after militia battle with Tuaregs
- Date: 18th August 2015
- Summary: OUTSIDE KIDAL, MALI (RECENT) (REUTERS) ARMED MEN FROM THE TUAREG-DOMINATED COORDINATION OF AZAWAD MOVEMENTS (CMA) ON BACK OF TRUCKS JUST OUTSIDE KIDAL, PROTECTING THE AREA TRUCKS WITH ARMED CMA FIGHTERS DRIVING OFF LONG VIEW OF KIDAL CMA FIGHTER POINTING GUN TOWARDS CITY AS THEY PROTECT THE ZONE AROUND THE CITY VARIOUS OF CMA SITTING CMA VEHICLE IN THE DISTANCE WITH GUN ON BACK CMA VEHICLES KIDAL, MALI (RECENT) (REUTERS) CHECKPOINT IN CITY ARMED CMA MEN STANDING AT CHECKPOINT CMA VEHICLE PASSING BY WITH GUN CMA SEARCHING CIVILIAN UN VEHICLE DRIVING PAST CHECK POINT CMA MEN CHECKING VEHICLE MORE OF VEHICLES DRIVING TOWARDS CHECKPOINT ARMED CMA FIGHTER PEOPLE WALKING IN THE CITY BEYOND CHECK POINT
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADZXW49M797W7ES0HPA1UDSTEX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) condemned on Monday night (August 17) the fighting in northern Mali between a pro-government militia and separatists, contravening a peace accord signed a few months ago.
They said they would establish a 20 km (12 miles) security zone around Kidal from 8 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Tuesday (August 18), after the three days of fighting.
The fighting occurred as neighbouring Niger prepares to hold peace talks on Wednesday (August 19) between the pro-government Platform group, which includes the Gatia militia, and the Tuareg-dominated Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA).
The talks are aimed at restoring a peace agreement signed in June that the government had hoped would allow Mali's army to focus on stamping out Islamist groups.
Gatia's Secretary General Fahad Ag Almahamoud told Reuters by phone that the fighting was over and that "CMA lost everywhere and sustained 20 dead. There was none on our side. All the deaths were for nothing."
The CMA, which has yet to confirm it will attend the talks, said it lost only two fighters in the recent clashes.
The CMA also said it had informed the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), that Platform had provoked the fighting in areas that CMA controls.
A Reuters witness saw heavily armed CMA fighters aboard pick-up trucks racing out of the town of Kidal - the separatists' main stronghold - in the direction of the fighting early on Monday and French fighter jets flew over the town.
Ag Mohamed said that the CMA saw little value in attending the talks in Niger, but no final decision had been made, blaming MINUSMA for failing to prevent Platform from launching attacks.
MINUSMA threatened to impose sanctions against those responsible for the recent violence.
"The growing number of (ceasefire) violations deeply worries the international community ... and risks hampering advances toward a stable and durable peace," it said in a statement.
Mali is seeking to break a decades-long cycle of Tuareg uprisings. In 2012, rebels formed an alliance with Islamist militants and seized the north, prompting a French-led intervention that scattered the Islamists but failed to eradicate them.
Militant violence is on the rise and expanding further south, putting pressure on the government to defuse tension with the Tuaregs. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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