Mali’s peace and reconciliation accord, a victory for Algerian diplomacy

The Malian parties involved in the dialogue for the settlement of the long-standing crisis in the northern part of Mali signed Sunday in Algiers a peace and reconciliation agreement under the supervision of an international troubleshooting team led by Algeria, as mediation leader.

But the main Touareg militant alliance involved in the Algiers talks, asked for some more time to consult its grassroots before inking the agreement.

The deal, hammered out in eight months of tough negotiations under international mediation led by Algeria, provides for the transfer of a raft of powers from Bamako to the north of Mali, and area the Touareg militants refer to as “Azawad”.

The Touareg alliance that includes the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad said it had asked for a “reasonable delay” for consultations before signing the final document.

A Touareg alliance spokesman, Mohamed Ousmane, told newsmen he was “optimistic that a deal could be signed within weeks in Mali … after securing the final approval of our people”.

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said Sunday’s deal was “a promise of peace” and voiced “confidence in the future”.

His Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra was equally optimistic that the Touareg alliance would soon sign up.

“The agreement will be duly signed by all the groups,” Mr Lamamra said.

The small delay sought by the Touareg alliance was merely an indication of their “desire to secure maximum support for the deal, he added.”

Mr Lamamra pointed out that Algeria is “mobilized” to contribute to settling for good the long-running Malian crisis by “fostering the path of reconciliation, peace and stability across Malian territory.”

France welcomed for its part the deal as a telling breakthrough, urging all groups to sign it without delay.

It is now due to be officially signed in Bamako at the end of March, reliable sources indicated.

In Bamako, Malian Prime Minister Modibo Keita called on the Touareg insurgents to take steps to “build the edifice of peace”.

Ethnic divisions run deep in the northern part of Mali, the cradle of a Tuareg separatist movement which has spawned several rebellions since the 1960s.

The 30-page peace agreement calls for “reconstruction of the country’s national unity” in a way that “respects its territorial integrity and takes account of its ethnic and cultural diversity”.

In deference to the concerns of the government about “separatism”, it does not use the word autonomy in setting out the powers the region concerned will enjoy.

It proposes the creation of powerful elected regional assemblies led by a directly elected president, as well as “greater representation of the northern populations in national institutions”.

From 2018, the Bamako government will set up under the deal a “mechanism to transfer 30 percent of budget revenues from the state to local authorities… with particular attention to the North of Mali”.

Militants are to be integrated into the regular army to be redeployed in northern Mali, with joint patrols to start within two months of the deal being signed.

Political observers said the accord would be “a great victory of Algerian diplomacy” if it is finally crowned with success.