Mali’s junta has set up a committee to organise a national peace dialogue after it scrapped a key 2015 peace deal with northern separatist groups following months of hostilities.
Recall that the junta declared the “immediate termination” of the crucial 2015 Algiers Accord with northern independent groups on Thursday, January 25. The accord, considered vital for stabilising the country, has been a point of contention in recent years.
The junta cited the “change in posture of some signatory groups”, and “acts of hostility as well as instrumentalisation of the accord by Algerian authorities” as reasons for the abrupt termination. The announcement was made in a televised statement by Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, the government spokesperson appointed by the military.
The Algiers Accord, already considered weakened, faced further challenges in 2023 as hostilities resumed between independentist groups, mainly Tuaregs in the North, and the Malian army following the withdrawal of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) orchestrated by the junta.
In early 2023, Colonel Assimi Goïta, the junta’s leader, declared the establishment of a “direct inter-Malian dialogue” to prioritize national ownership of the peace process.
In Thursday’s statement, the government officially declared the “absolute inapplicability” of the Accord for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, and consequently, its immediate termination.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, the spokesperson for the Permanent Strategic Framework, an alliance of armed groups that signed the 2015 accord but resumed hostilities last year, stated, “All negotiation channels are now closed. We have no choice but to fight this war imposed on us by this illegitimate junta with whom dialogue is impossible.”
The termination of the Algiers Accord marks another rupture in the series of actions taken by the military junta that seized power in Mali in 2020.
This move is part of a broader trend, including the severing of longstanding ties with France and European partners, a shift towards closer relations with Russia, and the expulsion of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Tensions between Mali and its neighboring country, Algeria, have also escalated. Colonel Maïga, in a strongly-worded statement, accused Algeria of unfriendly behavior, hostility, and interference in Mali’s internal affairs.
The junta expressed grievances, including Algeria hosting offices of signatory groups of the 2015 accord that have allegedly transformed into “terrorist actors.” Mali’s government demands an immediate cessation of what it perceives as Algerian hostility and interference.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES ON PRUDENCE JOURNAL
Jumia stops food delivery services in Nigeria and other African markets over profitability concerns
Tems opens up on pregnancy rumours with US rapper Future, says she got death threats
US House of Reps launches Republican impeachment inquiry against Biden
Afrobeat superstar Wizkid donates N100 million to children for Christmas
South African singer Zahara dies of liver complication at 36
Nigeria’s central bank to freeze accounts without BVN or NIN
Elon Musk blasts advertisers who pulled spending from X
70-years-old woman delivers twins after 40 years of barrenness
Israel Fails to Provide Evidence of Hamas Command Center in Al-Shifa Hospital Raid