The United Nations (UN) has welcomed the signing of a landmark peace deal between the government and the Coordination of Azawad Movements in Mali, which is aimed at ending years of unrest in a country battered by ethnic divisions and al-Qaeda-linked militancy.

The UN issued a statement on Saturday, hours after the deal was signed in the Malian capital, Bamako, congratulating the Malian parties and the Algeria-led mediation team for their efforts “to bring the signing process to a successful completion.”

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita attended the signing ceremony in Bamako.

The so-called Algiers Accord had been signed in the Algerian capital in May by the government and its loyalist fighters. But the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a coalition of rebel groups, had been holding out until amendments were agreed two weeks ago. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati, a member of the Arab Movement of Azawad, finally put his name on the document in a televised ceremony in Bamako on behalf of the CMA after the amendments were made.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “notes that signature by all parties paves the way for the full and timely implementation of” the agreement, the statement said.

“The ultimate responsibility for peace lies with Mali and the Malians, and [Ban] urges all parties to continue to work in good faith to advance progress, and to fully implement the provisions of the ceasefire,” the statement added.

The UN-sponsored peace talks led to the Algiers Accord, aimed at ending hostilities in Mali’s vast northern desert, where Tuareg rebels have launched several uprisings since the 1960s. The area has also been a main sanctuary for militants linked to al-Qaeda.



One of the main demands of the rebels during the negotiations had been the establishment of elected regional assemblies and the creation of federal states in the African country, which is home to over 15 million people.