French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian began a two-day visit to Mali on Sunday 25 October. He met with the armed movements that signed Algeria’s peace agreement to talk about the peace process.
as reported from Bamako,Serge Daniel
Shortly after his arrival in Bamako, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met separately with two of the armed movements that have signed or are supporters of the Algiers peace agreement: the Platform (which brings together several pro-Malay government groups) and the Coordination of Movements in Azawad (CMA), the previous uprising.
To his two interlocutors, Jean-Yves Le Drian delivered the same message: terrorist groups must be fought. The armed groups that are implementing the peace agreement are partners.
But the application of the Algiers agreement is sluggish, we need to move quickly. The French minister’s interlocutors confirmed that their presence in the government is a good start, but that they intend to be represented by “their brothers from the south in other command chains”.
This Monday, October 26, the leader of French diplomacy will meet two linpins of the Malian political transition: President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. Following a one-on-one with the latter, co-operation agreements are signed before a joint press conference with the Prime Minister.
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