President Kagame has attended the signing ceremony for the Peace Accords between the Government of Mali and members of the Plateforme coalition of armed groups in a key step towards bringing stability and security back to the beleaguered country.
Robert Mugabe, Paul Kagame, and nearly 30 other heads of Governments attended the signing.
Rwanda is among countries who have contributed peacekeepers to Mali to help stabilize the country.
However AP reported that during the signing Mali’s main separatist Tuareg rebel group did not sign a peace accord that the government and other armed groups agreed to on Friday, dimming prospects of stability in the West African country.
Algerian foreign minister Ramtane Lamamra, who represents the mediators, said Mali’s government, allied armed groups and two groups under the separatist coalition signed the agreement, but three groups in the coalition, including the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, did not.
Mohamed Mahmoud Ag Ousmane, who said he was a member of a group within the separatist coalition, said that there was still time for other groups to sign.
“We hope that the other groups come to sign the peace accord in their own turn,” he said.
International mediators had hoped that a peace agreement could bring stability to north Mali after several chaotic years.
In a statement issued by the UN spokesperson’s office on Friday, Mr. Ban Ki moon applauded the signing of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Malian capital, Bamako, and congratulated the parties and the Algeria-led Mediation Team for their efforts in producing a “balanced text.”
“The Secretary-General notes that today’s signature by some of the parties is an important step on the path towards sustainable peace,” the statement continued. “He conveys his sincere hope that other parties to the Algiers political process will adhere to the Agreement as soon as possible.”
Moreover, it added that Mr. Ban reminded all parties that the 23 May 2014 ceasefire remains valid and that he urges them “to honour their commitments in this regard.”
Photos: Urugwiro
E-Mail: angedelavictoire@igihe.com
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