Touareg leader seeks Algerian aid to rejoin Mali peace talks
2009-09-28
Touareg rebel leader Ibrahim Ag Bahanga travelled to Algeria from Libya to rejoin ongoing peace talks with the Malian government, local and international press reported on Sunday (September 27th).
"Algeria will contact the authorities in Mali to know what to do," AFP quoted former Touareg rebel and Ag Bahanga aide Gaiba Ag Moahamed as saying. Algeria has not confirmed the presence of Ag Bahanga, said to be the most "radical" of the rebel leaders, but a Libyan diplomatic source said the Touareg leader was no longer in Libya.
Last February, Algerian Ambassador to Mali Abdelkrim Ghreib mediated a peace agreement between ex-Touareg rebels and Malian officials. When more than 500 Touaregs surrendered their weapons in accordance with the Algiers Accord, the move was widely seen as a victory for Algeria in its fight against terrorism in the Sahel. At the time, Ag Bahanga refused to participate in the peace process, choosing instead to seek refuge in Libya.
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