Mali: Mali signs ceasefire deal with Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) Tuareg separatist rebels
Mali signed a ceasefire deal with Tuareg separatist rebels on Tuesday, paving the way for government troops to return to the northern, rebel-held town of Kidal before a presidential election next month.
At the heart of a region plagued by poverty and Islamic militancy, Mali won a 3.25 billion euros ($4.35 billion) Western aid package last month aimed at shoring up democracy and helping it recover from a coup and an al-Qaeda insurgency.
Tuesday’s agreement - reached after nearly two weeks of talks mediated by regional powers, the United Nations and the European Union - foresees rebel groups disarming as part of a broader peace process to resolve Tuaregs’ longstanding demands for greater autonomy for northern Mali.
“The signing of this agreement represents a significant step in the stabilisation process in Mali,” said U.N. Special Representative to Mali Bert Koenders, who attended the signing ceremony in neighbouring Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.