Politics

Mali, Algeria set to renew 2015 Algiers Accord as rebel activity rises

Published

2 years ago

April 29, 2023

Mali and Algeria have expressed a plan to renew a peace deal signed in 2015 between them known as the Algiers Accords.

The countries, in a joint statement, made the position known amidst activities of rebels in northern Mali which has become more fragile lately, and raises fears of renewed violence.

Algerian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf, after a discussion with junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, said the countries “have carried out a very precise, very rigorous examination of what is needed to ensure the effective and productive relaunch, via a political process protected from short-term turbulence.”

Meanwhile, an official of one of the rebel groups, Mohamed Almou of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), told journalists they were weary about the reenactment of the pact.

“They have to stop sliding further into denial (and) acknowledge the situation is spiralling out of control,” Almou remarked.

The 1,359 km (844 m) long border between Algeria and Mali stretches from the tripoint with Mauritania in the northwest to the tripoint with Niger in the southeast and has become an access point to terrorist engagement since the beginning of the Malian war in 2012.

The accord (PDF) was birthed out of the need for “governance which recognises the geo-historical and socio-cultural specificities of the North, whose history has been marked by challenges that have deeply affected the living conditions of its populations and rejected the use of violence as a means of political expression, and the use of dialogue and consultation to resolve differences”

It also united the Tuareg rebels and the government and provided greater local autonomy as well as the opportunity to incorporate fighters into a state-run “reconstituted” army that would operate in the area.

However, the pact has only been partially put into practice as armed groups withdrew in December as efforts were made to “organize” a crisis meeting with the Malian administration “on neutral ground” failed to materialize.

Since the beginning of the unrest in Mali, several insurgent groups have been pushing a campaign against the Malian government for independence or greater autonomy for northern Mali, which they called Azawad.

Related Topics:Algeria Algiers Accord Featured Mali

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.