UN mission in Mali condemns ceasefire breaches by peace accord signatories

Representatives of of the signatory groups (Plateforme and CMA), pictured here in the foreground, meet with the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix (center) and Mahamat Saleh Annadif (left), head of MINUSMA, in May 2017. Photo: UN Photo/ Sylvain Liechti

6 July 2017 – The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali today condemned continuing ceasefire violations by two signatories of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.

The accord was signed in June 2015 by the Coordination des Mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) armed group, following its signature in May 2015 by the Government and a third party, the Plateforme coalition of armed groups.

“These violations [by CMA and Plateforme] include movements of armed convoys, provocations and even armed clashes, like the ones ongoing south of Aguelhok,” UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), urged the leadership of both groups to put an end to these violations immediately.

“If violations persist, they risk undermining their credibility as partners in Mali’s quest for a lasting peace,” said Mr. Annadif.