Tension gets back between Mali and Algeria after the Military Council in Mali ends the peace and reconciliation agreement
The ruling transitional military council in Bamako announced the termination of the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali, signed in 2015 between the Malian government and the Azawad movements under the supervision of Algeria, with immediate effect, denouncing its exploitation by the Algerian authorities.
A statement issued by Malian government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga said that the decision to terminate the agreement was due to a change in the positions of some of the signatory groups to the agreement, as well as hostile actions on the part of the main mediator, Algeria.
The Malian government’s statement indicated, “The inability of international mediation to guarantee the fulfillment of the obligations imposed on the signatory armed groups, despite the complaints submitted by the transitional government, through the letter of the Minister of Reconciliation, Peace and National Cohesion, in charge of the National Peace and Reconciliation Agreement dated February 24, 2023, addressed to the Algerian authorities who led the mediation”.
The agreement stipulates a number of issues, including the integration of former rebels into the Malian army, as well as providing a greater degree of autonomy to the country’s regions.
The Azawad movements had previously repeatedly accused the Malian transitional government of abandoning the agreement, but the military junta indicated in its statement the complete impossibility of the agreement, announcing its termination with immediate effect.
This decision comes after the outbreak of fighting between the Azawad Movements and the Malian army, after years of calm, as both sides rushed to fill the void left by the withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping forces.
It also comes after tension in the relationship between the Malian and Algerian governments, reaching the level of exchanging summons for ambassadors, before this was later retracted.
In response, Algeria expressed on Friday its concern and deep regret after the Malian transitional government’s decision to suspend work on the peace and reconciliation agreement signed under its supervision in 2015, adding that it has never failed to work on its implementation.
A statement issued by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the long list of reasons presented by the Malian authorities in support of withdrawal from the agreement does not match the truth or reality, highlighting that Algeria sought with sincerity, good faith and unwavering solidarity towards sister Mali order to implement this agreement.
The statement indicated that “Algeria takes note of this decision, which would like to point out its particular danger to Mali itself, to the entire region that aspires to peace and security, and to the entire international community, which has put all its weight and multiple means to help Mali return to stability through national reconciliation”.
