Wednesday, June 19, 2013

It has been signed.


The ceasefire agreement brokered in Ouagadougou which has caused so much controversy was finally signed between the Malian interim government and the MNLA yesterday.
The agreement allows for the Malian army's presence in Kidal, and the disarmament of the MNLA and their 'containment' under the auspices of a security commission with representatives from both parties.
So are people shouting hurrah? Certainly not. The negotiation was enforced by the French and the pressure was on from the international community to sign this agreement, but the principle of negotiating with the still armed MNLA was abhorred by the Malian people including  a large proportion – possibly the majority- of the Tuareg people themselves. There are straight parallels here between the compromise which had to be accepted by the British government in face of the IRA.  A bitter pill has had to be swallowed for the sake of Realpolitik.

 

 
 

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