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Mali's opposition differs with gov't over Algiers peace agreement

Xinhua, March 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

The peace agreement signed on March 1 in Algiers by the Malian government and some armed groups has been rejected by the Malian opposition while the ruling party has termed the document as satisfactory.

In a statement issued on Monday, ten opposition political parties said "the document was not what the Malian people had hoped for."

The parties questioned the real importance of the document which had not been signed by the Coordination of Armed Movements, the main rebel group in northern Mali.

"The document contains some weaknesses and poses major risks for national unity as well as Mali's stability as it confers particular rights to some categories of the population," the opposition statement said.

In their opinion, the mention in the agreement of the word "Azawad" (which refers to the northern regions affected by the rebellion) as "a socio-cultural, memorable and symbolic reality" poses a major possibility of separation that no Malian should underestimate.

While thanking the international community for its support to the country's peace process, the Malian opposition said "the solutions suggested should not be sources of major destabilization of Mali and its communities."

On the other hand, the Convention of political parties supporting the president, through their coordinator Nancouman Keita, said "the most important thing is that there was an agreement and the only challenge would be to address issues of concern in the document to ensure its implementation is a success. "

"We must align the agreement with other existing judicial provisions in the country, especially the Constitution and the electoral code," Keita said.

He said it is the duty of the current and future generations to use the agreement as a tool for promotion of the Malian republic.

While meeting with civil society actors recently, Mali's Prime Minister Modibo Keita said the government had agreed to compromise on some issues, but it had not been arm-twisted into signing the agreement. Endi