Mali’s Tuareg-led rebel alliance is preparing to sign a landmark deal meant to end years of unrest. The Malian population has welcomed this as a first step towards peace and stability.
Northern Mali has been the centre of conflict in the West African nation. Tuareg rebels have risen up four times since Mali’s independence from France in 1960. Most recently, they formed an alliance with Islamist militants in 2012 to seize the desert north. A French-led military intervention scattered the insurgents, although sporadic attacks continued. And now many hope, the landmark deal that is set to be signed by the rebels will end years of unrest.
The new peace accord has been on the table for a while now. Mali’s government and several armed groups already signed it on the last month in the capital, Bamako. The agreement calls for the recognition of the government in Bamako and in return the government will give the north of the country more rights.Despite this positive move, fears have been raised that the truce might just be dead in the water, because of a recent spike in violence
