Mali and Tuareg sign ceasefire accord

The Malian government and Tuareg rebels, occupying a key northern city, have signed an accord paving the way for presidential elections in the West African state next month. Mali's territorial administration minister and representatives of two Tuareg movements signed the deal on Tuesday in Ouagadougou, capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso. The agreement, reached after 10 days of tense negotiations, will enable nationwide polls to take place on July 28 and put the troubled country on the path to recovery. It allows the Malian army to enter the key northern town of Kidal - occupied by Tuareg rebels - to secure the ballot. UN envoy to Mali, Bert Koenders, hailed the accord, saying it "represents a significant step in the stabilisation process in Mali". "This is a first step," said Koenders, who is also head of the UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali MINUSMA. "In practice, the parties have yet to discuss the latest technical details regarding security issues, the return of the administration, essential services to the population in the region of Kidal and preparation for the next presidential election. "Once these conditions are met, it is at this point that an inclusive dialogue can be established, involving not only the government and armed groups, but also all Malians." The lack of a deal has been a major obstacle in planning the election, seen as crucial to Mali's recovery from a conflict that saw al-Qaeda-linked groups seize the northern half of the country for nine months in the wake of a March 2012 coup that toppled the government in Bamako. French troops, since intervening in January, have reclaimed most lost territory but analysts warn Malian soldiers and MINUSMA would struggle without support from Paris. MINUSMA, to be made up of 12,600 international troops and police, is due to start deploying on July 1.