Increasingly severe Boko Haram attacks have triggered massive population displacements within Nigeria and across its borders into Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The insurgents have also carried out raids in the neighbouring countries, sparking secondary displacements. Countries in the sub-region have deployed forces to tackle the insurgents. The scope and complexity of the humanitarian crisis that has emerged around the Lake Chad region is being amplified by the increased militarisation of the region, retaliatory insurgent attacks and the worsening plight of host communities.

BAMAKO / GENEVE (10 mars 2015) – Au terme de sa quatrième visite au Mali du 1er au 10 mars - visite qui l’a conduit à Gao et à Kidal du 3 au 6 -, l’Expert indépendant sur la situation des droits de l’homme au Mali, Suliman Baldo, a exprimé de vives préoccupations face aux violations massives des droits les plus fondamentaux dont continuent à être victimes les populations dans les zones affectées par la guerre.

Faisant allusion à la fragilité de l’accord de cessation d’hostilité signé à Alger le 19 février, M. Baldo a déclaré que « les tensions créées par la situation actuelle de ni guerre ni paix encourageaient ceux qui ne s’intéressent pas à la paix à saboter les efforts en cours ».

C’est dans ce contexte que s’inscrivent les attaques terroristes récentes qui ont causé cinq morts civiles à Bamako, et les tirs contre le camp de la MINUSMA à Kidal et dont le bilan est de deux enfants et un militaire de la MINUSMA tués et plusieurs militaires onusiens blessés. « Ces attaques contre des civils et des installations de la MINUSMA sont condamnables et les auteurs doivent être identifiés et traduits devant la justice », a affirmé Baldo.

Les parties engagées dans le conflit au nord du Mali continuent à régulièrement violer les accords de cessation d’hostilité signés à Kidal et à Alger afin de renforcer et étendre leurs zones de contrôle, et pour renforcer leurs positions dans le processus de paix d’Alger, a déclaré l’expert.

« Les groupes armés extrémistes ou terroristes, qui ne sont pas signataires de ces accords, ont un intérêt évident à saboter tout processus pouvant aboutir au retour de la paix et de la stabilité au Mali », a-t-il ajouté.

« Étant donné la complexité de ce conflit dont les multiples dimensions dépassent les frontières de Mali, les acteurs nationaux, à savoir, le Gouvernement malien, des Mouvements de la Plateforme et de la Coordination devront faire preuve de bonne foi et de confiance en ce moment crucial et œuvrer ensemble pour conclure la paix durable tant attendue par les populations du Mali », a ajouté l’expert.

L’Expert indépendant a de nouveau insisté sur la nécessité de placer les victimes au centre de ce processus de paix et de réconciliation et de faciliter la participation des femmes dans ce processus.

« La situation sécuritaire précaire qui prévaut au Nord du Mali a un impact très négatif sur la jouissance et la protection de tous les droits humains, notamment les droits civils, politiques, sociaux, culturels et économiques », a réitéré l’Expert indépendant.

« Toutes les parties prenant part au conflit ont commis de sérieuses violations, y compris des atteintes au droit à la vie, des disparitions forcées, des cas de torture, de violences sexuelles, d’arrestations et de détentions arbitraires, et des atteintes au droit à la propriété. Ces derniers mois, des communautés entières ont été forcées de se déplacer afin de se protéger de châtiments collectifs imminents », a déclaré M. Baldo.

Le retrait des autorités maliennes civiles de régions entières du Nord à la suite des événements de mai 2014 a laissé à la population un sens d’abandon quasi total. L’Expert indépendant s’est dit profondément préoccupé par le fait que la situation dans le nord du Mali s’était considérablement détériorée depuis sa dernière visite.

« En l’absence de magistrats et d’autres agents de la chaîne pénale, un climat d’impunité s’installe dans le Nord. Deux juges du Tribunal de la Commune trois de Bamako et un juge de Pôle anti-terroriste sont actuellement en charge des enquêtes sur les violations de droits de l’homme et du droit humanitaire international perpétrées depuis le début de la crise en 2012 », a-t-il déclaré.

Par ailleurs, le risque pour les acteurs humanitaires œuvrant dans les régions du nord est très élevé à cause de fréquentes attaques armées et des actes de banditisme dirigés contre eux. Ces attaques, et l’usage fréquent de mines et d’engins explosifs improvisés par des groupes terroristes sur les axes routiers, continuent d’aggraver la crise humanitaire et d’entraver les mouvements des civils. De plus, les casques bleus de la MINUSMA sont de plus en plus pris pour cible, comme le montre l’attaque survenue dimanche matin et l’attaque suicide contre le même camp il y a deux mois.

Plusieurs interlocuteurs ont parlé des événements tragiques survenus à Gao le 27 mars 2015 et qui ont causé la mort de trois manifestants et blessé 17 personnes. « Je voudrais présenter mes condoléances aux familles endeuillées », a ajouté M. Baldo.

Le rapport final de l’équipe de haut niveau mandatée par le Secrétaire général des Nations Unies pour enquêter sur ces évènements sera présenté d’ici à la fin mars 2015. « Je ne veux pas préjuger de l’issue de cette enquête, mais j’aimerais souligner que les casques bleus sont tenus de respecter les normes les plus élevées. Les responsables devront rendre des comptes », a-t-il poursuivi.

L’expert a conclu sa visite, au cours de laquelle il s’est rendu dans le nord du pays, notamment à Kidal et à Gao, par un appel à la communauté internationale afin qu’elle redouble ses efforts pour aider le Mali à sortir de cette situation et renforce la coopération technique pour le développement du pays.

Au cours de sa visite de neuf jours, M. Baldo a rencontré le Ministre de la Justice et des Droits de l’Homme et Garde des sceaux, le Ministre de la Solidarité, de l’Action Humanitaire et de la Reconstruction du Nord ainsi que d’autres hauts responsables du Gouvernement malien. Il s’est également entretenu avec des représentants de la société civile, y compris des associations de victimes, ainsi qu’avec le corps diplomatique et des agences du système des Nations Unies.

« Je tiens à remercier les autorités maliennes pour avoir facilité ma mission et pour avoir fait preuve d’une grande ouverture au dialogue. Je tiens également à remercier tous ceux qui ont accepté de me parler et de me fournir des informations utiles sur la situation des droits de l’homme au Mali. Je suis très reconnaissant à la MINUSMA pour l’appui logistique fourni dans le cadre de cette mission », a conclu l’expert.

L’Expert indépendant présentera un rapport sur la situation des droits de l’homme au Mali au Conseil des droits de l’homme des Nations unies le 24 mars 2015, et il fera une mise à jour orale de son rapport. Enfin, l’expert a rappelé qu’il rendra compte des messages reçus des autorités, de la société civile et des victimes au Conseil des droits de l’homme.

M. Suliman Baldo (Soudan) a pris ses fonctions d’Expert indépendant sur la situation des droits de l’homme au Mali le 1er août 2013. M. Baldo a occupé des fonctions de Directeur pour l’Afrique auprès de l’International Centre for Transitional Justice basé à New York et de l’International Crisis Group. En 2011, il a été l’un des trois membres de la Commission internationale d’enquête mise sur pied par le Conseil des droits de l’homme des Nations unies afin d’enquêter sur les violences post électorales en Côte d’Ivoire.

Les Experts indépendants font partie de ce qui est désigné sous le nom des procédures spéciales du Conseil des droits de l’homme. Les procédures spéciales, l’organe le plus important d’experts indépendants du Système des droits de l’homme de l’ONU, est le terme général appliqué aux mécanismes d’enquête et de suivi indépendants du Conseil qui s’adressent aux situations spécifiques des pays ou aux questions thématiques partout dans le monde. Les experts des procédures spéciales travaillent à titre bénévole; ils ne font pas partie du personnel de l’ONU et ils ne reçoivent pas de salaire pour leur travail. Ils sont indépendants des gouvernements et des organisations et ils exercent leurs fonctions à titre indépendant.

Droits de l’homme de l’ONU – Page d’accueil du Mali : http://www.ohchr.org/FR/Countries/AfricaRegion/Pages/MLIndex.aspx

Pour des informations additionnelles et des demandes des media, bien vouloir contacter : Brian Ruane (+41 22 928 9724 / bruane@ohchr.org)

Iraq: 26,000 people have fled fighting between Islamic State and Iraqi security forces in Tikrit for Samarra. Food, shelter, health and WASH needs are priorities. More than 100 families have arrived in Al Dour, located between Tikrit and Samarra, and thousands have fled to central and southern governorates.

South Sudan: Heavy fighting between government and opposition was reported in Upper Nile state, and government troops took control of Wadakona town. Many civilians are reported trapped. Peace talks have collapsed.

Nigeria: Boko Haram-related violence has caused over 4,000 deaths in Borno state alone since the beginning of 2015. 5.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Global Emergency Overview Web Interface

Bamako, Mali | | mardi 10/03/2015 - 16:06 GMT

Une réunion de la rébellion à dominante touareg du nord du Mali est prévue mercredi à Kidal, dans le nord-est du pays, pour se prononcer sur l'accord de paix d'Alger déjà paraphé par le gouvernement, a affirmé mardi à l'AFP un délégué devant y participer.

La pression internationale déjà forte sur les rebelles pour signer ce document s'est intensifiée à la suite de l'attentat meurtrier de Bamako le 7 mars, revendiqué par le groupe jihadiste Al-Mourabitoune de l'Algérien Mokhtar Belmokhtar et interprété par l'ONU et Bamako comme une tentative de saboter la paix au Mali.

La réunion de la Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA), initialement prévue mardi "a été reportée. Si tout va bien, elle aura lieu mercredi", a expliqué ce délégué, Mohamed Ag Ayoub, membre du collectif de la jeunesse de Kidal, faisant état de "problèmes d'organisation".

Lors de la réunion, dont la durée n'a pas été précisée, les rebelles diront s'ils acceptent ou rejettent l'"accord de paix et de réconciliation" établi au terme de huit mois de négociations à Alger, a-t-il indiqué.

Le 1er mars, des représentants du gouvernement malien et des groupes armés qui le soutiennent ont paraphé le document, mais la CMA avait demandé un "délai raisonnable" pour consulter sa base après avoir exigé en vain des amendements.

La CMA comprend le Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad (MNLA), le Haut conseil pour l'unité de l'Azawad (HCUA), la Coalition des peuples de l'Azawad (CPA) et une branche du Mouvement arabe de l'Azawad (MAA).

Lundi, le gouvernement malien et la communauté internationale, dont la France, ont pressé les rebelles de signer l'accord de paix afin d'isoler définitivement les jihadistes.

L'attentat de Bamako, qui a fait cinq morts, trois Maliens, un Belge et un Français, a visé un bar-restaurant très fréquenté par les expatriés;

Selon une source officielle malienne ayant requis l'anonymat, il "a été planifié par de véritables terroristes organisés. Une dizaine de terroristes sont recherchés", dont un binational russo-malien.

Le groupe Al-Mourabitoune a affirmé avoir voulu venger un de ses chefs tué par l'armée française en décembre dans le nord du Mali, mais surtout le prophète de l'islam "insulté et moqué par l'Occident mécréant".

Le nord du Mali était tombé au printemps 2012 sous la coupe de groupes jihadistes liés à Al-Qaïda.

Ils en ont été partiellement chassés par l'opération militaire Serval, lancée à l'initiative de la France en janvier 2013, à laquelle a succédé en août 2014 l'opération Barkhane, dont le rayon d'action s'étend à l'ensemble de la région sahélo-saharienne. Mais des zones entières échappent toujours au contrôle de Bamako.

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© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

La violence qui sévit au Nigéria tue et force des centaines de milliers de personnes à fuir leur pays ; de plus, elle déborde dans les pays voisins, le Tchad, le Niger et le Cameroun, où la situation humanitaire se détériore également. Dans toute la région du lac Tchad, le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) distribue aux personnes déplacées des vivres et des articles ménagers de première nécessité, et aide les structures médicales à faire face à l'afflux de blessés.

Des mois après le début du conflit, des centaines de milliers de personnes déplacées par la violence ont trouvé refuge dans des endroits tels que Maiduguri, Yola et Gombe, dans le nord-est du Nigéria. Certaines se sont installées dans des écoles, des bâtiments publics et des camps de déplacés. D'autres séjournent chez des proches et des familles d'accueil, et font peser une pression supplémentaire sur les communautés qui vivent déjà dans des conditions extrêmement précaires.

« Nous sommes de plus en plus préoccupés par l'impact que le conflit a sur des milliers de familles », déclare Karl Mattli, chef de la délégation du CICR au Nigéria. « Nombre de personnes touchées dans le nord-est du Nigéria ont dû parcourir de longues distances pour se mettre en lieu sûr, et elles ont aujourd'hui du mal à satisfaire leurs besoins essentiels. L'aide que nous avons fournie permettra d'améliorer leurs conditions de vie, mais ce n'est guère suffisant. Il reste beaucoup à faire.

Pression accrue sur les communautés d'accueil

Ceux qui sont arrivés à Maiduguri ces dernières semaines fuyaient, pour la plupart, Baga, théâtre de violents combats à quelque 220 km. « Ils n'avaient généralement pas de quoi acheter des vivres ou d'autres produits de base », explique Janet Angelei, spécialiste CICR de la sécurité économique en poste au Nigéria. Ils étaient tributaires de la solidarité et de la générosité des communautés d'accueil qui ont déjà du mal à joindre les deux bouts, et sur l'aide humanitaire. Depuis décembre 2014, le CICR et la Croix-Rouge du Nigéria ont acheminé des vivres et des articles ménagers essentiels aux personnes déplacées : 27 000 personnes à Maiduguri, 12 000 personnes à Yola, 6 000 à Gombe, 3 000 à Jos et 5 000 à Kano.

De plus, faute d'installations sanitaires et d'une capacité suffisante de stockage de l'eau dans les camps de Maiduguri, une diarrhée aiguë s'est propagée parmi cette population vulnérable. Le CICR a construit des latrines et amélioré l'accès à l'eau potable en augmentant la capacité de stockage de l'eau dans cinq camps, qui desservent plus de 3 000 personnes.

D'innombrables familles ont été dispersées en raison du conflit, ayant dû fuir dans des directions différentes, et de nombreux enfants ont été séparés de leurs parents. Les collaborateurs du CICR et de la Croix-Rouge du Nigéria ont enregistré les mineurs non accompagnés dans les communautés déplacées à Yola, Maiduguri, Kano et Jos, et coopéré avec les parents souhaitant déclarer leurs enfants disparus. Le nombre d'enfants qui attendent de retrouver leurs parents ne cesse d'augmenter. Le CICR et la Croix-Rouge du Nigéria ne ménageront aucun effort pour réunir les membres de familles dispersées.

Assistance chirurgicale et médicale

Le CICR a soutenu les autorités pour remettre en état le centre de soins de santé primaires Mala Kachalla, à Maiduguri, et former son personnel. Plus de 100 000 patients bénéficient aujourd'hui de meilleurs soins de santé. Le CICR a aussi fait don de secours médicaux à divers hôpitaux de Potiskum, Damaturu et Maiduguri pour prendre en charge les personnes blessées ces derniers mois lors des combats et des explosions de bombes dans la région.

L'équipe chirurgicale du CICR, en collaboration avec le personnel médical local, a opéré 38 patients au centre médical fédéral d'Azare, ainsi que sept patients à l'hôpital public de Jos, par des explosions de bombes à Bauchi et Yobe en novembre 2014.

Visite de détenus

En 2014, le CICR a visité des personnes détenues en relation avec la violence armée dans plus de 20 centres de détention. Le personnel du CICR a évalué le traitement qui leur est réservé et leurs conditions de détention, et fait part de ses constatations en toute confidentialité aux autorités. Une aide en nature a été fournie, si nécessaire.

Impact sur les pays voisins

Des milliers de personnes ont traversé la frontière vers les pays voisins à la recherche de sécurité. Le CICR a intensifié son aide aux personnes touchées par la violence non seulement au Nigéria, mais aussi au Niger, au Tchad et au Cameroun.

Niger : vivres pour 45 000 personnes

Des dizaines de milliers de personnes, fuyant les violences dans le nord-est du Nigéria, ont trouvé refuge à la frontière, dans la région de Diffa au Niger. En 2014, quelque 45 000 enfants y ont bénéficié d'une aide alimentaire du CICR. Quelque 11 000 d'entre eux ont également reçu d'autres biens essentiels (couvertures, nattes, vêtements et moustiquaires). Des milliers d'autres ont reçu une aide du CICR au cours des premiers mois de 2015.

Le CICR a également approvisionné l'hôpital régional de Diffa en secours médicaux et chirurgicaux pour s'assurer que les patients blessés de guerre ont reçu les soins dont ils ont besoin.

Tchad : aider les enfants à retrouver leurs parents

Ceux qui fuient la violence au Nigéria ont souvent dû quitter précipitamment leurs maisons. Des familles ont donc de ce fait été dispersées, parfois à travers les frontières. Dans cette situation, les enfants sont extrêmement vulnérables. En étroite collaboration avec la Croix-Rouge du Tchad, le CICR a mis en place deux centres au Tchad, d'où il est possible de passer des appels téléphoniques gratuits à ses proches. Plus de 2 000 appels ont été passés à ce jour, ce qui permet aux membres d'une même famille de reprendre contact.

Au Tchad, le CICR a aussi :

• enregistré 46 mineurs non accompagnés et recherche leurs parents afin de les réunir ; visité 200 personnes arrêtées en lien avec la violence ;

• formé une centaine de fonctionnaires de la police judiciaire au droit international humanitaire sur les questions relatives à l'arrestation, la détention, et l'emploi de la force et des armes à feu ;

• dispensé une formation au droit international humanitaire à plusieurs bataillons de garde présidentielle sur le point de partir dans la région du lac Tchad.

À compter de la mi-février, la violence a débordé sur le territoire du Tchad, et des combats font rage dans la région du lac Tchad. Le CICR est intervenu rapidement et a fourni à l'hôpital de Bagassola une tonne de matériel médical pour blessés de guerre.

Cameroun : se préparer à répondre aux besoins essentiels

Au Cameroun, les besoins ne cessent également d'augmenter. Les équipes du CICR se préparent à répondre aux besoins essentiels des communautés déplacées et des communautés d'accueil, dans l'extrême nord du pays. Par ailleurs, le CICR a :

• formé des volontaires de la Croix-Rouge camerounaise pour soutenir l'action menée par le CICR afin de rétablir le contact entre les membres de familles dispersées par le conflit, dont certains ont trouvé refuge dans le camp de Minawao ;

• visité des détenus dans la prison de Maroua, dans le nord du pays, afin de suivre leurs conditions de détention et le traitement qui leur est réservé.

Le CICR poursuit aussi son dialogue avec les forces de sécurité camerounaises opérant dans le nord en vue d'améliorer leurs connaissances et leur respect du droit international humanitaire.

Informations complémentaires :

Dénes Benczédi, CICR Abuja, tél. : +234 706 418 90 02 ou +234 703 595 41 68
Oumarou Daddy Rabiou, CICR Niamey, tél. : +227 96 66 12
Daphne Lucas, CICR N'Djamena , tél. : ++235 6 20 10 05
Sylvie Pellet, CICR Yaounde, tél. : +237 699 41 65 79
Jean-Yves Clémenzo CICR Genève, tél. : +41 22 730 22 71 ou +41 79 217 32 17

Executive Summary

This Special Operation (SO) is established to provide safe, effective and efficient air transport services to the humanitarian community in Chad. The need for humanitarian assistance in Chad remains steadily high. However, vast distances, poor transportation networks and insecurity limit access for aid workers to beneficiaries. The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) is therefore crucial to facilitate access to beneficiaries and implementation sites for NGOs, UN agencies, donor organizations and diplomatic missions. With operational bases in N’Djamena, Abeche and Gozbeida UNHAS will continue to provide air services to 19 regular destinations within Chad with a fleet of three fixed wing aircraft.

The SO 200785 will be managed by the WFP Chad Country Office for the period 1 January 2015 – 31 December 2015 at a budgeted cost of US$ 20,591,459. The budget requirements will be raised through donor contributions (approximately 88%) and a partial cost-recovery (12%) in the form of ticket sales.

Fleet composition and operational routes have been determined after needs assessments and consultations with relevant stakeholders. The project will be implemented through standard WFP management structure and support systems and regularly reviewed in accordance with standard procedures in order to minimize risks and ensure operational efficiency.

10 March 2015 – Condemning the “reprehensible” attacks on civilians and United Nations peacekeepers and facilities in Mali, UN independent expert Suliman Baldo today expressed deep concern that massive violations of the most basic rights continue to plague populations in areas affected by fighting.

In a press release at the end of is his fourth visit to the country – from 1 to 10 March and including stops in Gao and Kidal – Mr. Baldo, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, noted the fragility of the cessation of hostility agreement signed in Algiers on February 19, and explained “the tensions created by the current situation of neither war nor peace has encouraged those who are not interested in peace to sabotage the ongoing efforts.”

Against this backdrop, he said the recent terrorist attacks had led to five civilian deaths in the capital, Bamako, and to the attack against a barracks belonging to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in Kidal that killed two Malian children and a Chadian peacekeeper, and injured 11 peacekeepers and three civilians.

“These attacks against civilians and MINUSMA facilities are reprehensible and the perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice,” declared Mr. Baldo.

The parties involved in the conflict in northern Mali continue to regularly violate the cessation of hostility agreements signed in Kidal and Algiers to strengthen and expand their areas of control, as well as to strengthen their positions in the Algiers peace process, the expert observed.

“The extremist or terrorist armed groups that are not signatories of these agreements, have an obvious interest in sabotaging any process that could lead to the return of peace and stability in Mali,” he added.

“Given the complexity of this conflict whose multiple dimensions [extend] beyond the borders of Mali, national stakeholders, namely, the Government of Mali, the Movements of the Platform and Coordination will have to show good faith and confidence…and work together to conclude the lasting peace [the people of the country are awaiting],” Mr. Baldo said.

He went on to reiterate the need to place victims at the centre of the peace and reconciliation process and to facilitate women's participation therein. “The precarious security situation in northern Mali has a very negative impact on the enjoyment and protection of all human rights, including civil, political, social, cultural and economic,” he explained.

“All parties involved in the conflict have committed serious violations, including violations of the right to life, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, arrests and arbitrary detentions and violations of the right to property. In recent months, entire communities have been forced to move in order to protect themselves from imminent collective punishment,” Mr. Baldo said.

The expert also underscored that in wide swathes of Mali’s restive north, from which civil authorities withdrew in May 2014, the public feels “a sense of almost total abandonment.” The independent expert was also deeply concerned that the situation in northern Mali had deteriorated significantly since his last visit.

“In the absence of magistrates and other officers of the criminal justice system, a climate of impunity has settled into the north.” Moreover, the risk for humanitarian actors working in the northern regions is very high due to frequent armed attacks and banditry directed against them. “These attacks and the frequent use of mines and improvised explosive devices by terrorists on roads, continue to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and impede civil movements,” he added.

Also condemning ongoing attacks against UN peacekeepers, Mr. Baldo said that the final report of the high-level team appointed by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to investigate these events will be presented by the end of March 2015. “I do not want to prejudge the outcome of this investigation, but I would like to emphasize that peacekeepers are held to the highest standards. Those responsible will be held accountable.”

During his nine-day visit, Mr. Baldo met with the Minister of Justice and Human Rights and the Minister of Justice, Minister of Solidarity, Humanitarian Action and Reconstruction North and other senior officials of the Government of Mali. He also met with representatives of civil society, including victims' associations, as well as the diplomatic corps and United Nations agencies.

Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

March 10, 2015by Susanna D. Wing

It was only a matter of time before Bamako was targeted. In the early hours of March 7, armed gunmen attacked a restaurant in the capital of Mali, killing five people and wounding eight. Al-Murabitoun, the jihadist group affiliated with Mokhtar Belmokhtar—the infamous militant and trafficker often referred to as “Mr. Marlboro” for his role in cigarette smuggling—claimed responsibility. This brazen act in the heart of the capital’s popular nightlife scene is a stark reminder of the emptiness and fragility of an agreement struck in Algiers on February 25 to try and bring peace to Mali.

Even before the Bamako attacks, the Accord for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali faced an uphill battle. Since the country gained independence in 1960, recurring conflict in its north has been the norm. Multiple agreements have been proposed to bring peace to the region and none of them have endured. There is little confidence that this time the outcome will be any different. The principal coalition of northern groups, the High Council for Unity in Azawad (HCUA), has asked for more time to consult with supporters before even signing the agreement. The current talks have also excluded key belligerent parties, and thus central figures in perpetuating insecurity remain excluded from the process of reconciliation. The continuing instability has now seen the postponement of local elections previously scheduled for April 26.

The multitude of Mali’s hollow peace agreements until now can be blamed on the unwillingness and/or inability of elites in power to follow through with commitments that have been made over the years. To make matters worse, widespread trafficking in arms, cigarettes, and drugs has flourished thanks to the insecurity and instability of the region. Those participating in trafficking have no incentive for peace since there is a fortune to be made where lawlessness prevails. Sadly, some state actors have also been complicit in the illegal trade and were thereby ineffective and disinterested in establishing security.

Despite this troubled history, international actors were eager to declare the most recent agreement a success. African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma praised the mediation of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The European Union commended the deal and committed to participating as a member of a follow-up committee to ensure implementation. Such optimism is premature, given the HCUA continues to bide its time and the Collective of Northern Citizens, which favors preserving national unity, has protested the use of the name “Azawad” in the agreement and the implicit recognition of that region as an entity, if not as an independent territory. It is clear that key players are not yet on-board the peace process.

Malian Prime Minister Modibo Keita, meanwhile, stated that the government held a profound attachment to the constitution and was unwavering on the unity, indivisibility, and territorial integrity of the state. In keeping with this viewpoint, the Algiers agreement reiterates the secular and republican nature of the state as outlined in the constitution. Keita said this could only be changed with the agreement of the sovereign people of Mali. In defense of the references to Azawad in the current accord, the prime minister argued this was nothing new, as the term was part of the National Pact of 1991, the Ouagadougou Agreement of 2013, and the Roadmap of 2014. It is simply an acknowledgement of a socio-cultural reality.

While the majority of Malians want nothing more than security and durable peace, they may have to wait some time for it. Almost on cue, on the day after the announcement of the agreement armed men attacked villages near Niafunké in the Timbuktu region. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita faces the unenviable task of balancing rebel calls for greater autonomy with a general attitude in the south that concessions should not be made to those who destabilized the country and were to blame for the Islamist takeover in 2012. Negotiations are not popular in the south and treated with suspicion in the north. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali also faces difficulties undertaking its peacekeeping mission. Residents of the northern town of Gao, who believed the mission had made a secret deal with separatists, to the exclusion of pro-government militias, attacked the UN base in their town. On March 8, the day after the Bamako attack, two Malian children and a peacekeeper were killed by a rocket attack on the UN base in Kidal.

Though it faces an uncertain future, the Algiers accord does propose some significant steps toward reconciliation. It includes the creation of powerful regional assemblies and proposes to reinforce decentralization by transferring 30 percent of state budget revenues to local authorities. A lack of follow-through on proposed administrative reforms such as this was a sticking point on previous agreements. Decentralization has long been considered a central element for rebuilding the country but the resources to make it effective were never made available to municipalities. The new agreement also proposes integrating Tuareg into the military, though this has been tried before and was only partially successful. Some Tuareg soldiers deserted with arms to join the rebellion, others such as the high-ranking, Kidal-based Colonel El Haji Ag Gamou led 500 troops to Niger to avoid annihilation, but later returned to join the fight against rebels. The new agreement also includes plans for a Conference for National Accord during which a Charter for Peace, Unity and Reconciliation will be elaborated.

Ongoing attempts to secure peace will need to appreciate the complexity of the Mali conflict. This extends to attempting to decipher the major actors involved. They include those who have been labeled “pro-government” militias, the Tuareg separatists in the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, and its various allies within the HCUA. There are also groups that have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Murabitoun, and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, who did not have a seat at the talks. While inter- and intra-clan conflicts are also a factor, much of the crisis revolves around a lack of development and the vast amounts of wealth to be made through trafficking and ransom payments in the north. In recognition of the importance of economic development, President Keita has committed to creating an International University of Timbuktu, and the current agreement outlines a commitment to building infrastructure and local economies.

Mali has long suffered under a democracy that grew increasingly distant from the population and in which political positions were used for access to resources of the state. Unfortunately, past attempts at decentralization, meant to bring governance closer to communities, have not only lacked proper finances but also opened up even more opportunities for clientalism. Mali has too much to lose if there is no follow-through on the commitments made in the current agreement. Resentment abounds on all sides. Referring to attacks in Gao, Bamako, and Kidal, Mali Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop stated clearly: “These are attacks against the peace process.” Peace and reconciliation will depend on the ability to rebuild trust among communities and between the state and the people. Mali faces a long and uncertain way ahead.

Susanna D. Wing is Associate Professor of Political Science at Haverford College.

Moki Edwin Kindzeka

YAOUNDE—Nigerian Muslims who fled to Cameroon to escape Boko Haram say they are being shunned as suspected sympathizers of the insurgent group. And the suspicions are not only from Cameroonians but Nigerian Christians who do not trust them and refuse to live with them in refugee camps.

French-born Muslim Rashid Abou Houdeyfa preaches peace and tolerance at the central mosque in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde. Among those listening is Nigerian refugee Abdoulaye Diallo, who says he fled his hometown of Dikwa to get away from Boko Haram, but has been persecuted in Cameroon by people who think he is a sympathizer of the Nigerian terrorist group.

He says many people mistakenly think that Islam and Boko Haram are synonymous and do not trust Muslims. He says Boko Haram is not Islam.

But that message is a hard sell in communities victimized by Boko Haram violence, kidnappings and raids that have spilled into Cameroon in the past few years, as the insurgents fight to set up a caliphate in northern Nigeria.

History of violence

Oumarou Ngomna, the traditional ruler of Kemzogo village on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria, says he does not accept strangers who are Muslims because they have had a history of violence in Nigeria.

He says he had to ask them to leave his village because he was informed that some Muslims in Nigeria burn mosques, churches and villages and even slaughter people. He says he is very skeptical of any Muslim visitors.

Sociologist Manga Pegui says he feels threatened when he sees Nigerian Muslims.

"I feel threatened because I see what is happening in neighboring Nigeria. I see that carnage that Boko Haram has been inflicting on innocent people in Nigeria and in Cameroon and I see what Islamist extremists are doing in other countries," he said.

But it is not just Nigerian Muslims who are shunned. Nigerian Christians also face stigma and suspicion. Elias Yega is among them.

"They combine us together, both Muslims and Christians. But sometimes we have problems because we call them Boko Haram and they will arrest them and take to security people here," said Yega.

Tolerance

The growing stigmatization has prompted religious groups to step up their messages of tolerance. Christian Manuba is with the Catholic Church’s Ecumenical Service for Peace. He says while people must be vigilant of security threats, they must also have compassion for the Nigerians who are in desperate circumstances.

"It is very, very deplorable. First of all the refugees have lost all of their livelihoods. There is no other means of survival. They now depend on the goodwill of the host communities, perhaps of the host government," said Manuba.

Chieck Oumarou Ibrahim, a Muslim spokesperson in Yaoundé, agrees. He tells VOA there is Christian-Muslim cooperation here to help overcome the stigma Nigerian Muslims face.

"We have talked about something which is essential and we can do it. It is inter-religious dialogue. We are joining ourselves with Christians and praying together. We are doing our best educating our children, our population in mosques and in churches to live in peace," said Ibrahim.

But the problem can be complex in the face of tactics used by the insurgents. In February, Cameroon's military arrested groups of Boko Haram fighters who were disguised as refugees.

Maiduguri, Nigeria | | Tuesday 3/10/2015 - 19:44 GMT

by Bukar HUSSAIN, with Aminu ABUBAKAR in Kano

A bomb attack rocked the Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Tuesday, days after Boko Haram bombings killed 58 people, as the government said the group's allegiance to the Islamic State showed the militants were weakening.

A suspected female suicide bomber blew herself up at the crowded Monday Market, which has been repeatedly hit by Boko Haram attacks, including on Saturday, according to witnesses.

Borno state police commissioner Clement Adoda told reporters that at least seven people died and 17 others were injured in the explosion.

Medical sources said staff were "overwhelmed", as they were still treating some of the 139 people injured in Saturday's blasts.

Mohammed Kanar, the northeast coordinator for Nigeria's main emergency management agency (NEMA) said the authorities successfully carried out a controlled explosion on a second device.

"Another bomb planted... not far from the market was safely destroyed by security operatives. People mistook the ‎explosion for a second attack," he said.

The latest attack came after the government in Abuja described the militants' pledge of allegiance to IS as a sign of weakness in the face of growing military pressure from Nigeria and its allies.

National security spokesman Mike Omeri called it "an act of desperation and comes at a time when Boko Haram is suffering heavy losses".

He added: "Boko Haram is on the way to being eliminated.

"No foreign extremists can or will change this fact –- as long as the Nigerian military continues to receive cooperation and commitment from its citizens and allies.

"There will be no Islamic State in Nigeria, the only state that will exist is the united Federal Republic of Nigeria."

• Coalition gains -

Omeri's tough talk come as Boko Haram is being squeezed out of captured territory in three northeastern states of Nigeria by a regional coalition of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The armies have claimed a series of successes in recent weeks, with the operation designed to secure and stabilise the northeast so that elections can take place on March 28.

The Nigerian army said on Tuesday it had foiled a Boko Haram attack on the town of Gombi, in Adamawa state, on Monday evening, seizing heavy weaponry and ammunition.

That followed a Chadian and Nigerien offensive on Monday to retake the Borno state town of Damasak, which fell into rebel hands last November.

Niger said that as of March 8, 24 police and soldiers as well as one civilian were killed since the country became involved in the regional fight-back.

Some 513 Boko Haram fighters were killed in the same period in fighting in southeastern Niger, national police spokesman Adily Toro but there was no independent verification of the numbers.

Security analysts have said Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau's pledge of allegiance to his IS group counterpart Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may only have propaganda value in the short term.

But they did not rule out possible closer links in the future.

Tuesday's bomb attack in Maiduguri -- and a spate of others across the wider north -- have underscored the fragile security in the run-up to the elections, which Shekau has vowed to disrupt.

• Humanitarian crisis -

The Boko Haram conflict, which began in 2009, has claimed more than 13,000 lives and left some 1.5 million homeless, with refugees spread across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

On Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned of an increasingly dire situation for the displaced in the strategic Lake Chad region, where Nigeria meets Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

"There is a full-blown humanitarian crisis around this lake, not only in Nigeria, but also in the surrounding countries," ICRC spokesman Jean-Yves Clemenzo told reporters in Geneva.

The organisation said it had stepped up its efforts in the region, providing food, household items, sanitary facilities and assistance to help cope with the influx of casualties.

But the head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria, Karl Mattli, said: "It's not enough. More has to be done."

The vast numbers of displaced people -- many of whom have flocked to Maiduguri -- has been a nagging question in the run-up to the vote, at which President Goodluck Jonathan is seeking re-election.

The region is a main opposition stronghold but with many voters unable to return home to cast their ballots, the validity of the overall result may be questioned if they are disenfranchised.

Nigeria's electoral commission is scrambling for a solution to the issue, including temporary voter ID cards.

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© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Decades of scientific research related to agriculture and natural resource management have brought limited benefits to smallholder farmers, including crop farmers, fishers, livestock keepers and other resource users. Therefore, donors, policymakers and civil society organizations (CSOs), such as farmer organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), are urging the formal research sector to make its work more useful to smallholder farmers. Many institutions of agricultural research and development are now seeking ways to engage more closely with smallholders in order to conduct research that is more relevant for and accessible to them, and are seeking examples and good practices as sources of learning. Some examples of research that is focused on smallholders and in which the process is co-managed and driven by smallholders can be found in “informal” research initiatives — specifically, those which are facilitated by CSOs. However, information on these initiatives rarely finds its way into the realm of scientific literature and is therefore not readily accessible to formal research institutions. The purpose of this study was to identify such examples of informal agricultural research and development that could be documented and thus made accessible to formal researchers.

The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) pursues an approach that involves embedding research within development processes and strengthening stakeholders’ capacities to innovate and adapt. The AAS program, together with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), asked Prolinnova1 — an NGO-led multistakeholder international network that promotes local innovation processes in agriculture and natural resource management — to help them explore the approaches, outcomes and impacts of informal research and development facilitated by CSOs. Basing their research on 11 case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America, which were drawn from over 100 cases that were identified and vetted, the study team assessed the extent to which farmer-led processes of research and innovation in agriculture and natural resource management led to improvements in rural livelihoods.

This report describes farmer-led research findings and their dissemination, and analyzes available evidence on the impact of farmer-led approaches to agricultural research and development2 on rural livelihoods, local capacity to innovate and adapt, and influence on governmental institutions of agricultural research and development. It then draws lessons for pursuing this type of approach and for future partnerships between actors in both formal and informal agricultural research and development who seek common goals in serving smallholder communities.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, March 10 (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram militants attacked the town of Ngamdu in Nigeria's northeast Borno state early on Tuesday, killing about a dozen people, witnesses and a security source said.

The town, which has been hit several times by militants, lies on the border of Borno and Yobe states. Borno is the heartland of Boko Haram's six-year insurgency, which aims to carve out an Islamic state.

read the full story here

Bamako / Geneva (ICRC) –Tensions remain acute in northern Mali, where attacks occurred in Kidal once again this past weekend. There was violence in the capital Bamako as well. The northeastern town of Tabankort was rocked by fighting in late January and early February and many families from the area were forced to flee their homes to safer places. Others were trapped in their homes for days on end. Many are now encountering great difficulty supplying their families with food. "This remains an alarming situation," said Jean Pierre Nereyabagabo, who is in charge of economic security work in Mali by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Economic life is still paralysed and many people are totally without access to drinking water and medicines."

Working closely with the Mali Red Cross, the ICRC last week distributed 55 tonnes of food to over 3,000 people in the area. Over 1,800 people in Tabankort and 1,200 others in Ersane, northeast of Gao, received relief in the form of rice, millet, semolina, cooking oil, and iodized salt, enough to meet their needs for a month. Conditions permitting, the ICRC planned to hold other distributions in coming weeks, Mr Nereyabagabo explained. "This food comes as a great relief," one of the beneficiaries said. "With the fighting going on, we didn't dare even leave the house to fetch food in our fields."

ICRC staff in northern Mali are closely monitoring events so as to be able to take action quickly. The organization's medical team at Gao hospital is also standing by to treat wounded people brought from Kidal.

For further information, please contact: Valery Mbaoh Nana, ICRC Bamako, tel: +223 76 99 63 75 Claire Kaplun, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 31 49 or +41 79 244 64 05

CAMEROON 117,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED DUE TO NIGERIA SPILL-OVER
The number of people internally displaced in northern Cameroon, fleeing cross-border attacks from Nigeria or preventively leaving their homes, is now estimated at more than 117,000. Cameroon also hosts some 66,000 Nigerian refugees. Humanitarian actors continue to scale up their capacities to respond to the urgent needs of refugees, IDPs and local communities.

NIGER JOINT OFFENSIVE WITH CHAD
On 8 March, Chad and Niger launched a joint military operation against Boko Haram in Nigeria, which marks Niger’s first major intervention in Nigerian territory to combat the insurgents. The push came after one week of recurrent attacks along the border between Niger and Nigeria.

NIGERIA 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED
The number of people displaced by the crisis in northeast Nigeria is further on the increase. More than 1.2 million people have been internally displaced, nearly 90 percent of them living with host families, and the rest in camps or camp-like settlements in Adamawa, Borno and Taraba states. More than 190,000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

95 KILLED IN BORNO ATTACKS
On 7 March, four suicide bombings rocked Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern Borno State, killing at least 50 people. The blasts hit a busy market and a crowded bus station. Four days earlier suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Njaba village in Borno and killed at least 45 people.

MALI
8 KILLED IN ARMED RAIDS
On 8 March, unknown assailants fired rockets at a UN base in the northern town of Kidal, killing two children and a Chadian peacekeeper. Eleven peacekeepers were also injured in the attack. The incident occurred a day after gunmen attacked a restaurant in the capital Bamako and killed five people. The attacks underscore persistent insecurity in Mali.

LIBERIA
0 EBOLA CASES IN TWO WEEKS
No new confirmed cases have been recorded in Liberia for the past fortnight. Currently, only nine suspected cases are in Ebola treatment centres. Eighty-four people are being monitored for having come into contact with infected patients.

REGIONAL / EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EVD): 23,934 CASES AND 9,792 DEATHS WEEKLY CASES RISE BY 33 PERCENT
A total of 132 confirmed cases were reported in the week that ended on 1 March. This marked a 33 percent rise from the previous week. All the cases were from Guinea and Sierra Leone (51 and 81 respectively). Many EVD deaths are still occurring in communities in Guinea and Sierra Leone, suggesting that the need for early isolation and treatment is not yet understood, accepted or acted upon.

Bamako, Mali | | mercredi 11/03/2015 - 18:20 GMT

par Serge DANIEL

Sous pression internationale redoublée pour faire la paix, la rébellion à dominante touareg du nord du Mali a débuté mercredi dans son bastion de Kidal une réunion cruciale pour arrêter sa position sur l'accord d'Alger, déjà paraphé par le gouvernement.

Entre 150 et 200 personnes venues de toute la région, notamment de Mauritanie, du Niger, de Libye et d'Algérie, en grande majorité des Touareg et leurs alliés, participaient à ces consultations de la Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA), qui devraient durer plusieurs jours, a précisé un membre du comité d'organisation.

La réunion de Kidal, à plus de 1.500 km au nord-est de Bamako, a débuté par une lecture et un résumé de l'accord paraphé le 1er mars à Alger par les représentants du gouvernement malien et des groupes armés qui le soutiennent, selon la même source sous le couvert de l'anonymat.

L'accord vise à créer les conditions d'une paix durable dans le nord du Mali, en proie à des affrontements sanglants depuis plus de deux ans, et qui a connu une série de rébellions des Touareg depuis les premières années d'indépendance du pays, en 1960.

"Des diplomates de plusieurs pays européens à Bamako envisagent de se rendre à Kidal si la situation le permet pour encourager à la signature de l'accord", a affirmé de son côté une source diplomatique malienne.

La pression déjà forte sur les rebelles pour signer ce document s'est intensifiée à la suite de l'attentat anti-occidental du 7 mars à Bamako, revendiqué par le groupe jihadiste Al-Mourabitoune de l'Algérien Mokhtar Belmokhtar, qui a fait cinq morts: trois Maliens, un Français et un Belge.

"La France appelle toutes les parties à soutenir ce texte et cet accord", a déclaré mercredi le ministre français des Affaires étrangères Laurent Fabius, rappelant qu'il "reste à convaincre un certain nombre de groupes du Nord".

"C'est précisément au moment où la paix est à portée de main que les terroristes veulent la mettre à bas", a-t-il répété devant l'Assemblée nationale.

• Pas de négociations directes -

Lors d'une rencontre dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi à Niamey avec des représentants de la rébellion, le gouvernement nigérien et le chef de la Mission de l'ONU au Mali (Minusma), Mongi Hamdi, ont échoué à les convaincre de signer, a indiqué à l'AFP un participant, figure de l'ex-rébellion touareg au Niger.

Les rebelles ont dénoncé le fait que "durant tous les mois de discussions, ils n'ont jamais rencontré le gouvernement du Mali pour un face-à-face, c'est l'ONU qui menait les négociations", a précisé cette source.

Ils ont déploré que ce processus aboutisse à "leur soumettre un document vide qui ne tient pas compte des desiderata de leur peuple", estimant que "même s'ils le paraphaient +l'accord ne tiendra pas longtemps+", a-t-on ajouté.

Le texte prévoit la création d'Assemblées régionales dotées de pouvoirs importants, élues au suffrage universel direct, mais, comme le souhaitait Bamako, ni autonomie ni fédéralisme.

La CMA avait demandé le 1er mars un "délai raisonnable" pour consulter sa base après avoir exigé, en vain, des amendements à ce document, fruit de huit mois de négociations sous l'égide de l'Algérie.

Cette coordination comprend le Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad (MNLA), le Haut conseil pour l'unité de l'Azawad (HCUA), la Coalition des peuples de l'Azawad (CPA) et une branche du Mouvement arabe de l'Azawad (MAA).

Quelques jours avant la conclusion des pourparlers d'Alger, le nouveau chef coutumier de la région de Kidal, l'Amenokal (chef élu par les sages) de l'Adrar des Ifoghas, Mohamed Ag Intalla, avait plaidé pour la paix avec Bamako, se disant "contre l'autonomie" de sa région.

Le nord du Mali était tombé au printemps 2012 sous la coupe de groupes jihadistes liés à Al-Qaïda.

Ils en ont été partiellement chassés par l'opération militaire Serval, lancée à l'initiative de la France en janvier 2013, à laquelle a succédé en août 2014 l'opération Barkhane, dont le rayon d'action s'étend à l'ensemble de la région sahélo-saharienne. Mais des zones entières échappent toujours au contrôle de Bamako.

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© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Land Rover today announced a three year partnership with the Irish Red Cross, helping to bring safe drinking water to regions of Niger affected by drought and failed harvests.

The partnership has already seen great success with the first Land Rover funded water tower completed in November 2014, benefiting 3,000 people in the village of Tchimattan, plus thousands more from communities in the surrounding Tanout region. A further two towers will be built over the course of the partnership, aiming to reach more than 12,000 beneficiaries in total.

With improved access to safe water, children will stay healthy and can attend school; in the long term benefitting themselves, their families and the entire community. Parents will also stay healthy and be able to work and support their families and their local economy. Separate water points for animals will ensure animal health and a ready supply of water will allow for the irrigation of local crops.

Eddie Kavanagh, General Manager, Land Rover Ireland, said: "We at Land Rover are proud of our association with the Irish Red Cross. Last year we committed to support the excellent work it does to bring help and relief to the people of Niger. By working together through Jaguar Land Rover's new Global Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, this partnership will help to deliver practical, sustainable help to communities and individuals worldwide.”

The Irish Red Cross has been working in Niger, frequently ranked as the world’s poorest country, since 2005, when the charity responded to a severe food shortage in the country. Following that initial emergency response, the Irish Red Cross established Niger as its priority country on the African continent, working to address the underlying causes of vulnerability and build local resilience. To date, the charity has provided assistance to over 120,000 individuals across 75 different communities.

John Roche, Head of International with the Irish Red Cross, welcomed the partnership, ““Land Rover’s support is a significant and welcome boost to our work in Niger. By working together we can accelerate the reach of our water and sanitation programmes that already support thousands of people. There is an extreme need for access to clean water.”

Land Rover is also the official sponsor of the Irish Red Cross annual fundraising adventure the Sunrise Summit Challenge. Simultaneously taking place at six mountain locations across Ireland on 12th of April, the Sunrise Summit Challenge will see participants hike up to the mountain summits in time to see the sun rise over Ireland. Sunrise Summit raises much needed funds for the charity’s work with vulnerable communities overseas and in Ireland. To take part, register online at www.redcross.ie/sunrisesummit.

Bamako, Mali | | Wednesday 3/11/2015 - 17:35 GMT

Mali's Tuareg-led rebels met Wednesday in the northeast of the country to decide whether to sign a peace deal already accepted by the government and smaller armed groups, a participant told AFP.

Between 150 and 200 mainly Tuareg figures travelled from across the region to the city of Kidal to take part in the talks, expected to last several days, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Among them were participants from Mauritania, Niger, Libya and Algeria.

The meeting began four days after UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged the main rebel alliance -- known as the Coordination -- to sign a peace deal penned in Algeria on March 1.

The Malian government signed the agreement, along with some northern pro-Bamako armed groups, but the rebels asked for more time.

A Malian diplomat who also spoke on condition of anonymity said the rebels are under pressure from European states to join the peace deal.

"Diplomats from several European countries in Bamako are expected to go to Kidal, if the situation allows, to encourage the signing of the accord," said the diplomat.

A jihadist attack Saturday that left five people dead, including two Europeans and a Malian policeman, has turned up the heat on any reticent rebels.

The Malian government and the international community saw the assault as a bid to sabotage peace efforts.

Islamist militants in 2012 seized control of northern Mali in 2012 for more than nine months until a French-led military intervention in 2013 that partly drove them from the region.

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© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

There have been more clashes in the north of the country recently, and the plight of tens of thousands of people continues to alarm the ICRC, which remains in full action mode. It is helping local communities meet their basic needs and acquire the means to sustain their livelihoods over the long term.

In 2014, the ICRC did the following:

• It distributed some 4,000 tonnes of food, household articles and other essential items to tens of thousands of displaced people in Mopti, Gao and Kidal, and to people who had returned to Mali after taking refuge in neighbouring countries.

• It delivered food aid, and over 610 tonnes of seed, to some 230,000 people around Gao, Kidal, Timbuktu and Mopti. It also distributed tools to fishing and herding families, gave advanced training to veterinarians and vaccinated over 1.3 million animals.

• It supported several community health-care centres, a referral centre, and Gao hospital by supplying them with medicines and other supplies, together with financial support to help them pay their staff. The ICRC's medical team in Gao continues to provide medical and surgical treatment free of charge.

• It helped set up a psychosocial programme in Gao hospital for traumatized individuals (victims of sexual violence, etc.).

• It organized a seminar on war surgery for around 30 professionals.

• It helped the Mali Red Cross technically and financially to enable families who had been split up by the conflict restore and maintain contact with their loved ones (22 children were reunited with their parents, and over 3,850 phone calls were made).

• It repaired old and built new water-supply systems, including wells for herders, in both towns and rural areas. The ICRC also provided fuel to run the water-purification system in the city of Kidal and the generator at Gao hospital.

• It visited over 4,100 detainees in 30 places of detention, both established and temporary. The ICRC distributed hygiene kits and repaired sanitary facilities and water-supply systems.

• It helped the authorities deal with malnutrition and improve detainee access to health care.

• It raised awareness – among soldiers, both Malian and foreign (from the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali), gendarmes and fighters from a variety of armed groups – of their duty to respect international humanitarian law, and in particular of the need to protect the civilian population.

En 2014, le CICR a continué à assister et à protéger les victimes du conflit, ainsi qu’à promouvoir le droit international humanitaire (DIH) auprès de différents publics dont les porteurs d’armes et les autorités. Les activités ci-dessous ont été menées :

PROTECTION

VISITES AUX PERSONNES PRIVÉES DE LIBERTÉ Dans le cadre de ses activités en faveur des personnes détenues le CICR a :

• visité près de 4156 détenus dans 30 lieux de détention permanents ou temporaires. Ceci inclut les visites aux personnes détenues par les mouvements armés suite aux évè-nements de Kidal de mai 2014 et à d’autres évènements dans le nord du pays. Suite à ces visites, le CICR a rencontré régulièrement toutes les autorités concernées pour trouver des solutions aux problèmes constatés, notamment quant aux questions de traitement, de nutrition et d’accès aux soins ;

• poursuivi ses efforts en vue d’améliorer les conditions de détention, notamment à travers des livraisons mensuelles de matériel d’hygiène dans les principales maisons d’arrêt et lieux de détention temporaires du pays. Dans le même but, le CICR a rénové les installations sanitaires et le système d’adduction d’eau de la Maison d’Arrêt de Sikasso, de la Maison Centrale d’Arrêt de Bamako, au Camp 1 de la Gendarmerie et à la Gendarmerie Pré-vôtale de Gao ;

• assisté les autorités dans la prise en charge des cas de malnutrition en détention à travers un programme de nutrition thérapeutique dans les maisons d’arrêt de Bamako, de Kati et de Koulikoro. Au total, 44 personnes souffrant de malnutrition sévère ont été admises dans le programme entre janvier et décembre 2014. En parallèle, le CICR a travaillé avec les autorités à l’élaboration d’un menu standard équilibré destiné à améliorer la situation nutritionnelle dans les prisons au Mali.

• supporté les autorités pour la mise en œuvre d’un programme d’amélioration de l’accès aux soins à la Maison Centrale d’Arrêt de Bamako.
En parallèle, le CICR a assuré la prise en charge des frais médicaux de 45 détenus gravement malades dans divers lieux de dé-tention qui ont été transférés à l’hôpital pour des examens ou une hospitalisation ;

• offert aux détenus la possibilité de rétablir ou de maintenir les liens avec leurs familles grâce à 353 appels téléphoniques, et 177 messages Croix-Rouge, dont les contenus ont été contrôlés au préalable par les autorités détentrices.