NEXT Monday representatives of Mali's government and northern Tuareg are due to meet in Algiers to initiate a new round of peace talks. International mediators pushed for these talks since May, when Tuareg violently took power in their ethnic stronghold of Kidal, prompting the government to declare war. But it's doubtful how much can be expected from the latest initiative in Algiers. The current discussions are the latest in decades of sporadic war and faltering deals.
Tuareg rebellions are as old as Mali itself, but a 1992 peace deal set the template for more recent conflicts. In that deal Tuareg groups abandoned demands for independence and promised to disarm in return for limited autonomy, better integration into the state and army, and government schemes to foster development. But a familiar pattern has since emerged in which both sides fail to honor their pledges and dissatisfaction mounts until conflict erupts again. Similar rebellions and peace deals have broken out multiple times, most recently from 2012-2013.
Malian papers often portray the Tuareg as thugs, Islamist...Continue reading
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