Frank Talk

Since the start of the ongoing fuel crisis in Mali, many observers have been pondering if the military government under General Assimi Goita can stand the heat from the al-Qaeda-backed militant group Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM). Last week, the group that has been calling for a respect of the 2015 Algiers (Algeria) Agreement, imposed a blockade after Malian authorities reduced fuel supplies to remote areas to force jihadists to leave their hide-outs. But their strategy turned to the advantage of the JNM group that has thwarted fuel supply to the rest of the country by burning several tankers, thus forcing the military government to seek negotiations.
Though talks have been at snail pace, it is time the two parties especially General Goita and his team to open up a platform for durable frank talks that would lead to peace, reconciliation and formation of an inclusive government. It’s by doing so that the government can come out from the multifaceted crisis that is teetering the country. A key element of instability lies in the stalled implementation of the 2015 Algiers Accord for Peace and Reconciliation. This agreement, brokered by Algeria and supported by the international community, offered a glimmer of hope for ending a decade of conflict ...