Bamako, August 6 (EFE). The Malian Military Council and the Tuareg armed movements, signatories to the 2015 Algiers Agreement, agreed to integrate 26,000 fighters fighting in these groups into the ranks of the Malian government forces.
This decision was announced yesterday after a meeting in Bamako of representatives of the government and armed groups active in northern Mali, such as the Coordinator of the Azawad Movements (CMA, independent) and the Jatia trade union militia.
The participants in that meeting, which lasted five days, decided to integrate these fighters into the state’s military and security institutions in two phases before 2024, according to the quotas that suit each of these rebel groups.
It was also agreed to establish a specialized committee to integrate senior civil and military officials of these movements into the various fields of state administration.
The so-called “Algiers Accords” were signed in Algiers in May 2015 and saw the signing of peace between the Bamako government and Tuareg militants, who control large areas in the north of the country.
Despite the peace agreement, the CMA remains the main de facto authority in large areas of Azawad (Northern Mali) and provides basic services in the areas it controls, especially in the Kidal region.
The Tuareg rebels condition the return of the Malian army to Azawad by forming forces that would operate in the north with the majority of the local population in terms of numbers and leadership.
The decision to integrate rebel fighters into Malian government forces comes amid the rise of jihadist groups following the withdrawal of foreign forces operating in the country, such as French counter-terrorism Berkhane. EFE
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