In Mali, the president of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a coalition of former rebel movements from the north, was assassinated on Tuesday morning, April 13. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidatia was shot dead near his home in Bamako by two still unidentified men.
The shock is still great two days after the murder of Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati. After becoming President of the CMA, he was already Secretary General of the Azawad Arab Movement (MAA), a member of the coalition.
He was a native of Ber, in the Timbuktu region, where he was a teacher for several years. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati quickly became involved in his community. He has worked for several NGOs, especially in the livestock sector. “This animation work with the communities has credited him with great appreciation in the region,” a relative told the president of the CMA. An estimate that allows him to become mayor in Ber 2009.
Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati quickly became involved in Azawad’s cause. In 2012, he founded MAA. The movement will fight the Malian forces for independence in the north of the country.
Towards peace
In 2015, together with other movements, the MAA signed the peace agreement in Algiers that would put an end to the conflict. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati initials the document himself.
Since then, he has led the CMA delegation, which negotiated the terms of its implementation. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati has been involved in all rounds of negotiations since 2015. “From the beginning, he invested in the pursuit of peace,” added Mohamed el-Maouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the CMA. Today we are worried, because this peace is fragile in Mali, nothing can destabilize it. “
On Tuesday afternoon, the other parties to the agreement reacted to the murder of Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati. In a statement, the international mediator expressed his “dismay”. The platform, another coalition of former rebel movements from the north, “condemned this heinous crime that was likely to disrupt peace.”
They all demanded an immediate and serious investigation, as promised by Transitional Minister Moctar Ouane.
The weakened Algiers Agreement
At present, no information has been leaked on the identities of the killers or the motive for their crime, but this murder is a very severe blow to the Algerian agreement, which is increasingly being criticized for its five-year implementation.
Some former rebels believe that the territorial reform under the agreement takes too long to take place. New regions must be created, their presidents must be elected and their powers expanded. But from now on, none of this has seen the light of day.
On the other hand, in Bamako, voices are also being raised against the Algerian agreement, perceived as a text introduced by foreign countries, especially Algeria, and signed by the Malian state in a time of weakness.
“Of course there are enemies of the agreement, but the most serious thing is that there are enemies of peace in Mali,” said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the UN Special Representative for Mali. From 2015 to March 2021. Of course, the agreement is not the only solution, it is not perfect, but it is one of the most effective means of pursuing peace and stability in Mali. We can correct it, adjust it, but the agreement must be a solid foundation on which the rest must be built. “
► To read also: Mali: who murdered Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati, CMA leader?
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