Azawad Movement Leader: “We stick to Federal system and we expect concessions from Malian government”

A representative of the Arab Movement of the Azawad based in northern Mali, Mohamed Mawled Ramadan, has told Echorouk that his movement is still intent on securing a federal system of governance in northern parts of Mali as part of a breakthrough to the ongoing inter-Malian inclusive dialogue held in Algiers.

He also said that his movement was still expecting the Bamako authorities to make the relevant concessions in order to ensure, he said, the smooth fulfillment of the peace process in Mali through an all-inclusive and final agreement binding all the parties at issue under Algeria’s well-meaning mediation.

He reaffirmed that the Algeria-supervised dialogue process “confirms the willingness of all to move forward in resolving the crisis,” stressing “the determination to work towards achieving a lasting peace in the framework of the legitimate ambitions of the people of Azawad.”

He also praised “the Bamako government’s compliance with the Ouagadougou Agreement and the ceasefire agreement, expressing” the warm thanks of the people of Azawad to Algeria for its efforts to definitively resolve the conflict” and hailed the efforts of the international community in this regard.

The coordination of the movements’ signatories of the Algiers Declaration in June is composed of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) and the Arab Movement of the Azawad. The coordination had signed the ceasefire in May 2014.

As the last phase of negotiations resumed on 20 November, the Algeria-led talks between the Malian government and the armed groups in the north should not be rushed as they offer a unique opportunity for a sustainable peace agreement. 

As northern Mali experiences renewed violence, with influential radical groups absent from the negotiations trying to spoil the process, the Malian government and participating armed groups including those of the Azawed movements have struggled to find common ground.

“It is important to maintain the current momentum rather than hastening an agreement with minimalist security guarantees”, says Jean-Hervé Jezequel, West Africa Senior Analyst.  “Signing a peace agreement is not the end game but a milestone in the process of building lasting peace”.

“The resurgence of violence in the north of Mali and the difficulties encountered by the Malian political elites to undertake profound reforms make the success of the Algiers peace process all the more necessary”, says Rinaldo Depagne, West Africa Project Director. “This should lead to the signing of a final peace agreement that is both realistic and ambitious”.