Mali: Malian government and 6 armed groups agree to cease hostilities
The Malian government agreed a deal with six armed groups Thursday to cease hostilities as part of UN-sponsored peace talks aimed at ending the crisis in the country’s north.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said the deal, which does not include al-Qaeda-linked groups, aimed “to create a climate and state of mind on the ground that would help further negotiations leading to a global peace agreement.”
Thursday’s ceasefire was signed in the presence of Lamamra and Mongi Hamdi, the head of the 9,300-strong UN peace mission in Mali (MINUSMA). It came during a fifth round of talks in Algiers that started Monday.
A copy of the released document said the two sides agreed to “observe an immediate cessation of all forms of violence, and to refrain from any provocative acts or comments.”