Tuareg fighters have signed a ceasefire agreement with Mali’s government, the UN mission in Mali says.
The agreement, which was brokered by African Union (AU) on Friday, followed talks between AU chief Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and representatives of three armed groups.
According to the truce deal, the fighters are committed to stop their advancements wherever they are.
The Malian defense minister also confirmed that the army would respect the ceasefire.
Last week, Tuareg fighters captured the towns of Kidal and Menaka and killed about 40 army soldiers.
The clashes erupted first during a visit to Kidal by Prime Minister Moussa Mara, whose government is backed by French soldiers, who invaded the former colony in January last year under the pretext of halting the advance of the Tuareg fighters.
The development sparked anti-France sentiments in the country.
Chaos broke out in Mali after President Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a military coup in March 2012. The coup leaders said they mounted the coup in response to the government’s inability to contain the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country.
HRM/MHB/MAM
Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/05/24/363913/fighters-reach-accord-with-mali-govt/
Views: 0