Accord sur la cessation des hostilities entre le Gouvernement de la Republique du Mali d'une part, et le Mouvement Populaire de l'Azaouad et le Front Islamique Arabe d'autre part (Accords de Tamanrasset)

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Country/entity: Mali
Azawad
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Accord sur la cessation des hostilities entre le Gouvernement de la Republique du Mali d'une part, et le Mouvement Populaire de l'Azaouad et le Front Islamique Arabe d'autre part (Accords de Tamanrasset)
Date: 6 Jan 1991
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Tuareg Wars (1962 - )
Mali-Azawad
The nomadic Tuareg in the north of Mali maintained a long-standing revolt against a government traditionally dominated by southern politicians shortly after Mali became independent from France in 1960. The uprisings focused in and around the Azawad region, north of Timbuktu. After several outbreaks of violence during the 1980s, violence peaked with the 1990 outbreak of the Tuareg Rebellion. Following an initial defeat by the Malian Armed Forces, reparations by the government of Alpha Konare included the creation of the self-governing Kidal region. Violence in 1994 died down following peace between moderates on both sides in 1995 and a negotiated peace agreement. Violence continued due to a lack of integration by combatants, but it was not until 2011 that the situation again escalated in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and the disintegration of Libya, which resulted in a heavy inflow of small arms, and the increased involvement by Algeria. In January 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) together with several other groups took full control of the region. Disputes on how to handle the situation led to a military coup against President Touré in March 2012 that, in turn, resulted in further turmoil. The MNLA declared the independence of Azawad, but soon lost control of most of the territory to radical Islamist militias including Ansar Dine. A French intervention in January 2013 paved the way for a UN mission, which was established in April of that year. In June 2015 multiple declarations culminated in a final agreement between several Azawad-affiliated groups, including MNLA, and the government of Mali to end hostilities. However, inadequate implementation of the agreement results in continual armed confrontations between pro-government militias, Azawad-affiliated groups, dissidents of Azawad-affiliated groups, ethnically oriented groups, and increasingly since 2017, radical Islamist militias.

Niger-Aïr-Azawad
In 1990 the nomadic Tuareg in northern Niger explicitly sought greater political autonomy following decades of grievances on local political exclusion. With the first armed group Aïr and Azawad Liberation Front (FLAA) to be established in 1991, fighting between 1990 to 1995 took place largely in the Air Mountains. A short-lived truce was agreed in 1994 between the Niger Government and the Tuareg umbrella organisation Coordination of Armed Resistance (CRA), later called Organisation of Armed Resistance (ORA). Another accord was signed in April 1995 in Ouagadougou with various other Tuareg groups and some Toubou, the last signing in 1998. After ten years of relative peace, Movement of Nigeriens for Justice (MNJ) reinvigorated conflicts in 2007 following little follow up by the Nigeriene government on the signed peace agreements.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Mali-Azawad Inter-Azawad peace process
Parties: Pour le Gouvernement du Mali
Colonel Ousmane Coulibaly
Membre du Conseil National Chef d'État
Major Général des Armées

Pour le Mouvement Populaire de l'Azaouad et le Front Islamique Arab
Iyad Ag Ghali
Secrétaire Général du Mouvement
Third parties: En présence du Ministre de l'Intérieur de la République Algérinne Démocratique et Populaire
Description: The government and the movements agree to stop military operations, outlaw individual and collective acts of violence, and that from the signature of the agreement the armed forces will circulate unarmed outside designated zones. They also agree on the integration of members into the armed forces. They agree on the establishment of a commission to make sure this agreement is respected. They agree on prisoner release.

Agreement document: ML_910106_Accord sur la cessation des hostilites_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): ML_910106_Accord sur la cessation des hostilités_FR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: Power sharing→Military power sharing→Merger of forces
Page 1, Article 8:
The combatants may integrate into the Malian Armed Forces under conditions defined by the two parties.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
[Summary: The whole agreement provides for a ceasefire and its modalities. The ceasefire starts on 06/01/91 upon signature. There is no indication as to whether it is permanent or temporary.]

Page 1, Article 1:
Military operations and all armed activity throughout the national territory and principally in the 6th and 7th Regions of Mali shall cease at …..hours on 06/01/91.

Page 1, Article 2:
The two parties undertake to prevent any recourse to acts of violence, whether collective or individual.
[...]

Page 2, Article 13:
The present Agreement enters into force upon signing.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Page 1, Article 4:
The Malian Armed Forces shall not carry out any activities likely to result in clashes with the combatants. They shall gradually reduce their presence in the 6th and 7th Regions.

Page 1, Article 5:
Within the framework of the present Agreement, the Malian Armed Forces shall withdraw from management of the civilian Administration, and suppress some military posts.
With regard to the towns (Regional capitals and cercles), barracks shall be progressively transferred to more suitable locations.

Page 1, Article 6:
The Malian Armed Forces shall avoid pastureland and areas with heavy concentrations of population.

Page 1, Article 7:
The Malian Armed Forces shall restrict themselves to their role of defending territorial integrity at the frontiers.

Page 1, Article 8:
The combatants may integrate into the Malian Armed Forces under conditions defined by the two parties.
DDR: Security sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisions
Page 1, Article 8:
The combatants may integrate into the Malian Armed Forces under conditions defined by the two parties.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, Article 2:
[...]
All clandestine action or action endangering public order shall end, as well as any infiltration of armed elements from outside the country.

Page 1, Article 3:
The fighting forces of the “Popular Movement of Azawad” and the Arabic Islamic Front in place on the day of cessation of hostilities shall remain inside the zones which correspond to their current place of cantonment.
Any individual or collective movement of these Forces outside these areas must be unarmed.

Page 1, Article 8:
The combatants may integrate into the Malian Armed Forces under conditions defined by the two parties.

Page 2, Article 10:
The Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities shall consist of an equal number of representatives from each of the two parties, as well as the mediator.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 2, Article 12:
All prisoners, hostages, or detained civilians held by each of the parties shall be released within 30 days of signing the present Agreement.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: UNESCO , https://web.archive.org/web/20200107164018/http://www.unesco.org/culture/fr/indigenous/Dvd/pj/TOUAREG/TouaregC4_2.pdf

AGREEMENT ON THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES

The Government of the Republic of Mali on one hand and

the Popular Movement of Azawad and the Arab Islamic Front on the other,

Wishing to re-establish Peace and Security throughout the national territory and principally in the 6th and 7th Regions, have agreed the following:

ARTICLE 1:

Military operations and all armed activity throughout the national territory and principally in the 6th and 7th Regions of Mali shall cease at …..hours on 06/01/91.

ARTICLE 2:

The two parties undertake to prevent any recourse to acts of violence, whether collective or individual.

All clandestine action or action endangering public order shall end, as well as any infiltration of armed elements from outside the country.

ARTICLE 3:

The fighting forces of the “Popular Movement of Azawad” and the Arabic Islamic Front in place on the day of cessation of hostilities shall remain inside the zones which correspond to their current place of cantonment.

Any individual or collective movement of these Forces outside these areas must be unarmed.

ARTICLE 4:

The Malian Armed Forces shall not carry out any activities likely to result in clashes with the combatants.

They shall gradually reduce their presence in the 6th and 7th Regions.

ARTICLE 5:

Within the framework of the present Agreement, the Malian Armed Forces shall withdraw from management of the civilian Administration, and suppress some military posts.

With regard to the towns (Regional capitals and cercles), barracks shall be progressively transferred to more suitable locations.

ARTICLE 6:

The Malian Armed Forces shall avoid pastureland and areas with heavy concentrations of population.

ARTICLE 7:

The Malian Armed Forces shall restrict themselves to their role of defending territorial integrity at the frontiers.

ARTICLE 8:

The combatants may integrate into the Malian Armed Forces under conditions defined by the two parties.

ARTICLE 9:

A Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities shall be established, charged with applying the provisions of the present Agreement.

This Committee shall be chaired by the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria as mediator.

ARTICLE 10:

The Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities shall consist of an equal number of representatives from each of the two parties, as well as the mediator.

ARTICLE 11:

The headquarters of the Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities shall be at Gao.

ARTICLE 12:

All prisoners, hostages, or detained civilians held by each of the parties shall be released within 30 days of signing the present Agreement.

ARTICLE 13:

The present Agreement enters into force upon signing.

Done at Tamanrasset on January 6, 1991

in two originals in French and Arabic

the two texts being equally authentic.

Signatures

For the Malian Government

Colonel Ousmane Coulibaly

Member of the National Council, Head of State

Major-General of the Armies

For the Azaouad Popular Movement and the Arabic Islamic Front

Iyad Ag Ghali

General Secretary of the Movement

In the presence of the Minister of the Interior of the Algerian Democratic and Popular Republic