World backs Mali unity to prevent al-Qaeda resurgence, restore stability-Magharebia

Tuaregs in Niafunké celebrate after Malian, French troops drove out Islamists from historic Timbuktu. [AFP/Eric Feferberg]

*Analysts argue that peaceful unity and autonomy, rather than future separatist conflicts, is only option to counter al-Qaeda-linked jihadists*

Magharebia, by Jemal Oumar (Nouakchott, Mauritania, April 12, 2013) – The first of France’s 100 troops left Mali on Tuesday (April 9th), beginning the countdown for the Sahel state to assume responsibility for its own security and stability.

The question now facing the fledging Bamako government is how to restore stability in the country’s north and reconcile with one-time separatists and marginalised populations, including Tuaregs and Arabs.

Days ahead of the French pull-out, Arab Azawad movement representative Ahmed Ould Sidi Ahmed held a Nouakchott press conference, where he used the occasion to condemn terrorism, saying it poses a threat to both Mali and the entire region.

Analysts argue that peaceful unity, rather than future separatist conflicts, is the only option to prevent al-Qaeda-linked jihadists from re-taking the north.

“If military achievements don’t serve as an introduction for establishing security and stability, they will be useless,” Amakenna Ag Akal, a Tuareg blogger and analyst, told Magharebia.

“It’s about time we thought about the fate of Azawadi people who have borne the brunt of terrorism and multiple wars,” he continued.

The Tuareg blogger added, “The time is now suitable to negotiate with moderates to give them extensive autonomy in their areas to achieve real economic development and counter the threats of terrorists who will undoubtedly try to cause problems from time to time and undermine northern Mali population’s hopes about stability and development.”

Malian troops are gradually taking over from French and African counterparts in country’s north. [AFP/Joel Saget]

All Malians must take advantage of international intervention against terrorism to re-unite and get past the calamity they have faced in recent months, he said. They now have to prove to the world that the Malian state can return to the pattern of pluralistic democracy in which all ethnicities, including Arab, Tuaregs, Songhai and Bambara, can live together.

“Military victories are not enough to realise a permanent peace,” Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore said earlier this year on RFI.

In talks last fall, Tuareg leaders did not rule out the possibility of abandoning the demand for independence, which they have always supported. According to Nina Walet Ntalou, a leading figure in the MNLA and a minister in their unrecognised government, this is a new shift that would undoubtedly help overcome major difficulties.

“For a long time now, we’ve been demanding dialogue with the Malian government,” she told Magharebia. “Therefore, sitting today at the negotiating table face to face with Ansar al-Din is a gain for all parties, who have to take advantage of that for the benefit of all sides.”

As to each party’s adherence to its position, she said, “Today we’re speaking a new language. Therefore, I believe that each party should make some concessions so we can meet in the middle of road even if this requires us to abandon some hard-line positions.”

“As far as MNLA is concerned, we started to abandon the demand for separation in return for self-rule,” she concluded. “Our leader Bilal Ag Acherif expressed this a few days ago in a press interview.”

According to analyst Mohamed Ag Ahmedu, this shift by groups that were once the most committed to Azawad independence “did not come on the spur of the moment, but was the result of international pressure after Tuareg secessionists found out that their hard-line positions no longer conform to the dictates of moment.”

“All peaceful solutions are possible today in the framework of the Malian state,” Tuareg journalist Intagrist El Ansari told Magharebia.

“However, I think that the French position has had an important effect on the MNLA’s position when Ambassador Jean Felix-Paganon, special representative for Sahel, met on November 24th a delegation from MNLA in Paris and told them frankly that they have to expressly abandon their demand for separation so they can be a legitimate party in solving the Malian crisis,” Ag Ahmedu added.

France wants the different Malian sides to hold political dialogue that would preserve the country’s territorial integrity and protect the interests of all its social components away from dealing with terrorism, France Foreign Ministry spokesperson Philippe Lalliot said.

However, he added that the French state could only play the role of a facilitator in the Malian conflict, and that the primary responsibility would be for the Malians themselves, including non-terrorist groups, such as MNLA, MaliWeb cited Lalliot as saying.

“I think that all peaceful solutions are possible today in the framework of the Malian state,” Tuareg journalist Intagrist El Ansari told Magharebia. “However, this must be through important steps of negotiations between all actors and wise parties, such as civil society organisations, political activists, clerics and representatives of people, because without real and serious dialogue, we will always face obstacles.”

He added that stability must be the goal given that it would lead to real development in the areas that were suffering from poverty, backwardness and marginalisation.

The Malian state may be ready to discuss Tuareg autonomy after pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“West African officials are pushing the Mali government to offer Tuareg separatists in the north of the country autonomy in exchange for joining the fight against hard-line al-Qaida-linked terrorists,” The Guardian reported November 22nd.

The paper cited a Malian official close to the negotiations with Tuaregs as saying that autonomy was “not off the cards”.

“But there has to be a solid agreement between all parties. The priority is to get rid of all terrorists who have no right to be [in northern Mali]. Once that happens, the Malian state will determine the framework in which conditions of autonomy could be granted,” the paper quoted the Malian official as saying.