France has called for peace talks to be held between Mali’s government and “legitimate representatives” from rebel groups in the north of the country, after French troops took control of the city of Kidal, the last settlement held by al-Qaeda-linked rebel fighters. Philippe Lalliot, a spokesperson for the French foreign minister, said on Wednesday that it was now time for the “political process” to advance. He called for talks with the legitimate representatives of the northern peoples and “non-terrorist armed groups” that recognise the integrity of Mali.
“Only a north-south dialogue will prepare the ground for the Malian state to return to the north of the country,” he said.
On Tuesday, Mali’s parliament adopted a political roadmap that included a commitment to holding elections by July 31 and commencing negotiations with representatives from the north.
Dioncounda Traore, Mali’s interim president, reiterated on Thursday his government’s intention only to negotiate with secular groups in the north.
He told France’s RFI radio he was ready for talks with the secular Tuaregs of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (known by its French acronym, MNLA), who want an independent homeland for their people.
Traore said, however, that he would not meet with representatives from any of the three al-Qaeda-linked groups – Ansar Dine, MIA and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – that seized northern Mali last year. The president said that the rebel groups had pulled out of cities in the north, and that Malian and French forces would have “established a presence everywhere” within a month. Kidal captured French forces arrived at Kidal airport early on Wednesday, days after having captured Gao and Timbuktu.
