Mali and warring Tuareg agree deal

Ceasefire pact signed in Algiers after nearly a year of clashes.

MNJ Tuareg rebels
The Tuareg are demanding greater rights for people in the north of Mali

Abdelkrim Ghrib, Algeria’s ambassador to Mali, who mediated the talks said: “The two delegations representing the government of Mali and the Democratic Alliance for Change reached an agreement on Monday in Algiers on the cessation of hostilities.”

Ghrib said that the deal includes measures concerning prisoners and refugees.

The rebel group want greater assistance for the minority Tuareg.

Mali has found it difficult to contain the attacks by the Tuareg in the past year.

Similar uprising also occurred in the 1960s and 1990s.

The talks aimed to re-assert provisions in the 2006 deal, including economic assistance for the northern area.

Source: News Agencies