Algeria to cease cooperation with Azawad groups if they refuse to sign peace agreement

Algeria is reported to have threatened to halt cooperation with the Azawad political factions involved in negotiations with the Malian government if they refuse to sign a peace agreement with the Malian government on 15 May, the Anadolu news agency reported.

“Algerian officials told Azawad political leaders that Algeria will have to reconsider its cooperation with them if they insisted on refusing to sign the peace agreement with the government of Mali,” an anonymous source was quoted as saying.

According to the source, “the decision affects a lot of facilities granted to Azawad political movements in the fields of ​​representation in Algeria and freedom of movement.”

“Algeria will not change its stance on the issue of humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Azawad region, which will continue no matter what the situation is.”

The international mediation team in the Malian crisis announced 15 May as the date on which peace agreement between Mali and Tuareg-led separatist rebels in the capital Bamako must be signed, following a new round of negotiations hosted by Algeria few days ago.

A statement by the Algerian foreign minister on Saturday night said that: “The mediation team calls and insists on all political and military movements… to sign the agreement on 15 May in Bamako during a ceremony that will be held for this purpose.”

The statement did not refer to the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) rebel group, which announced that it has reservations regarding the content of the agreement that was signed in March in Algiers after eight months of talks.

The Algerian diplomatic source said that “CMA still has reservations on the issue of security arrangements in the territory of Azawad and the Malian army role in the region despite signing the agreement.”

CMA has not issued its final position on the international mediation team call to sign the agreement on 15 May in Bamako.