BAMAKO – Rebels in northern Mali have rejected a preliminary peace deal after days of talks with grassroots supporters ended, saying the document did not tackle the root causes of the conflict but that they remained committed to negotiations.
The proposal – drawn up after months of talks in Algeria and signed by the government in Bamako earlier this month – is aimed at tackling decades of rebellion in Mali’s desert north, where Islamists militants are also battling French and U.N. troops.
In a statement issued late on Sunday, the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) rebel group said the proposals failed to meet their expectations. The rebels took up arms in 2012, seeking to carve out an independent desert state called Azawad.(Reuters)[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]