2 March 2015 – The United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) congratulated the parties involved in reaching a draft agreement on peace and reconciliation, which was initialled in Algiers on Sunday, according to the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson today in New York.
According to Stéphane Dujarric, the Government of Mali, a member of the coalition of armed groups ‘Platform’ and the mediation team led by Algeria reached agreement today, though the ‘Coordination’ of coalition of armed groups has not yet initialled the document and has requested additional time to consult with its constituencies in Mali.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General in Mali and head of MINUSMA, Mongi Hamdi, welcomed the spirit of compromise shown and the necessary concessions made to the “historic step” towards the consensual, inclusive, just and lasting resolution of the Malian crisis.
“The draft agreement, although it does not reflect all the requests made by the parties respectively, represents the most viable compromise to meet the multiple challenges facing Mali,” said Mr. Hamdi, urging all parties to maintain the constructive spirit shown so far and to uphold their responsibilities under the agreement.
The agreement marked only the beginning of the process of reaching a final settlement of the crisis in Mali, he stressed, urging sustained and united international support to assist the parties in finalising and then implementing an inclusive and sustainable peace agreement, and called on all Malian parties to continue constructive engagement in good faith towards that end.
The Government in Mali has been seeking to restore stability and rebuild following a series of setbacks since early 2012, including a military coup d'état, renewed fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the seizure of its northern territory by radical Islamists.
Throughout much of this time, Mali’s north has remained restive and, in recent months, MINUSMA and its “blue helmets” have come under repeated violent attack.
