The Tuareg led militant alliance in Mali signed a landmark deal which looked to end a 5 decade long conflict that saw many die in the northern regions of the country.
The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a coalition of rebel groups signed a deal that called for the creation of an elected regional assembly that granted some levels of autonomy for northern Mali.
The negotiations which were sponsored by the UN over several months stops short of complete federalism for northern Mali, reports Agence France Presse.
The former head of the UN peacekeeping force to Mali, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, welcoming the CMA commitment to the peace deal urged Mali to implement reforms, stating,
“The responsibility lies primarily with the Malian actors and the government and armed groups must again regain mutual trust, the only possibility of progress.”
Mr Koenders added,
"The crisis in Mali is indeed key to the interests of the whole of Europe, through the rise of terrorism and the amplification of the flow of migrants, and the UN mission plays an essential role in the stabilisation of Mali and, indirectly, the whole region”
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
