Magharebia

Malian Interim President Dioncounda Traore appeared on national television on Sunday (July 29th) to announce the creation of a new government body, AFP reported.

The High Council of State will be made up of the interim president and two vice-presidents, one of whom will be in charge of defence and security and handling the four-month-old crisis in the north. The other will represent the various non-political forces in Mali.

Traore said that a "national negotiating committee" would also be set up to "engage in peace talks so as to seek through dialogue negotiated solutions to the crisis" in the north.

Traore returned to Bamako on Friday, after spending two months in Paris to receive treatment for injuries suffered when a mob raided his office.