– ‘Agreement void’ –
“I doubt the Algiers agreement can be signed by May 15 in these circumstances,” Yvan Guichaoua, a security analyst for the Sahel region and lecturer at the University of East Anglia in Britain, told AFP.
“We’re into military ops. Even though informal discussions continue, it will take some time before military activities calm down.”
The government and a coalition of armed groups from the north known as the Platform have already signed the peace accord, negotiated under UN auspices over eight months.
But the CMA has been holding out ahead of the ceremony, demanding an amendment guaranteeing political recognition for “Azawad”, the name used by the Tuareg for the northern part of Mali.
MINUSMA chief Mongi Hamdi said he was “extremely concerned about the grave violations of the ceasefire under way in Mali at a crucial moment in the peace process”, according to a MINUSMA statement released on Thursday.
“I appeal to reason and responsibility of all actors involved, the stakes are too high.”
He added that all sides signing the Algiers accord would be “a historic opportunity for peace in Mali for the benefit of all Malians”.
“No such thing will happen now. Now if the mediation and the Malian authorities still want to maintain a signature ceremony on May 15, they will sign a de facto void document,” Guichaoua said.
Mali’s Tuareg and Arab rebels agreed to a ceasefire after taking control of the northeastern city of Kidal in May last year, dealing a humiliating defeat to the army, which saw 50 troops killed and another 50 wounded.
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