- Title: MALI-REBELS/DEAL UPDATE Malian rebel alliance signs peace deal with government
- Date: 20th June 2015
- Summary: BAMAKO, MALI (JUNE 20, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF COORDINATION OF AZAWAD MOVEMENTS (CMA) REPRESENTATIVE SIDI BRAHIM OULD SIDATI SIGNING PEACE DEAL SIDATI STANDING AS PEOPLE CHEER VARIOUS OF SIGNED DOCUMENT PEACE DEAL CEREMONY PARTICIPANTS SITTING ON STAGE VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE MALIAN PRESIDENT IBRAHIM BOUBACAR KEITA WAVING ATTENDEES S
- Embargoed: 5th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mali
- Country: Mali
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3UX7PC49NKNQVCZE11GBULW3T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
An alliance of Tuareg-led rebels and the Malian government signed a peace deal on Saturday (June 20) meant to draw a line under a 2012 uprising and allow the authorities to focus on tackling an Islamist militant threat in the country's desert north.
The Algerian-brokered deal, signed by a representative of the rebel Coordination of Movements of Azawad (CMA), hands greater autonomy to Mali's sparsely populated north in a bid to end a cycle of four uprisings since independence from France in 1960.
The Algiers Accord was already signed in mid-May by the government and a coalition of loyalist armed groups, but the CMA had held out for further concessions on the return of refugees, security arrangements and development plans for their region.
These were agreed with the government in early June.
"CMA, true to its commitments, is very happy to be present today to sign the peace and reconciliation deal in Mali following mediation in Algeria. Ladies and Gentlemen, peace is a very precious commodity that the whole world is searching for and is today indispensable in Mali in general, but particularly in the Azawad territory. It's also the right opportunity for us in the CMA to say that peace is never won solely by a single signature but born from the respect of the engagements undertaken, with good faith and political will of the parties involved," said CMA representative Mamadou Djeri Maiga.
Implementing the peace deal will be complicated by the division of fighters into various competing factions and splinter groups.
Analysts say that rival northern factions are also vying for control of lucrative smuggling routes to north Africa.
Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said he hoped the deal will open new ways of development in the country, in full security.
"The implementation of this deal will open new perspective for development, not only in the northern regions, but all regions of Mali. The new institutional framework of free administration will reinforce, without a doubt, transparency in public management and will allow us to better manage security questions, as well as a better and more efficient participation by the population in the efforts to develop our national territory," Keita said.
Previous deals with northern rebels have failed to secure a lasting peace.
The light-skinned Tuareg and Arab peoples of northern Mali say they have been marginalised and excluded by successive black African governments in the southern capital Bamako.
The special representative of the U.N. Secretary General, Mongi Hamdi, said the 11,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission would support the implementation of the deal.
The accord proposed devolved powers for the north, a regional security force and a special development plan, but left the issue of Azawad's political identity for a national debate between Malian parties.
Mali's government rejected any notion of full autonomy for Azawad in a federal system, but said it would devolve more authority under Mali's existing decentralised structure. Rebels had pushed for a federalist system. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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