Ouagadagou Declaration

The Ouagadagou Declaration is the final declaration^[1] signed by the six political and military movements of Azawad, following a meeting that took place in Burkina Faso at the end of August 2014. The purpose of the declaration was to put an end to hostilities in northern Mali and to establish a political and legal status for Azawad.^[2] It was signed on August 28, 2014 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. During this meeting, the groups were gathered together for the first time since the Ouagadougou Agreements of June 2013.^[3] The meeting took place following the first round of the Algiers peace negotiations in July 2014^[4] and before these negotiations resumed in Algiers on September 1, 2014.^[5]

Background

A meeting took place in Ouagadougou from 25 to 28 August bringing together six different armed groups in northern Mali.^[6] The meeting was intended to encourage dialogue to resolve participants’ differences and to present a united front during official negotiations with the Malian government in Algiers, to find an acceptable solution to all the parties to the Northern Mali conflict.

The meeting was facilitated and moderated by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), chaired by High Council for Unity of Azawad (HCUA) and co-financed by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Participants

Main article: Coordination of Azawad Movements

The participants of this meeting included:

• The High Council for Unity of Azawad (HCUA)
• The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA)
• The Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) signatory of the Algiers Platform of June 14, 2014
• Coalition for the People of Azawad (CPA),^[7] and
• Coordination of Patriotic Resistance Movements and Forces (CMFPR)

Results

The meeting helped to develop a conflict management committee in northern Mali and to establish a monitoring committee for the Ouagadougou Declaration.^[1][2] The HCUA, with support from HD, worked to bring all groups together to resolve their disputes. It encouraged them to develop a common position during the negotiations in Algiers and therefore to facilitate the discussions with the government in the rounds following the Declaration.

The declaration also brought an end to rivalries and hostilities on the ground especially between the MAA, MNLA group and MAA around Tabankort. Discussions during the meeting allowed an exchange of prisoners between the two groups.^[8]

Signatories

The declaration was signed by:

Algabass Ag Intalla representing the Coordination of Political-Military Movement of Azawad / northern Mali (MNLA, HCUA, MAA and CMFPR).^[9]

Ahmed Ould Sidi Mohamed representing the Movement Coordination Politico-Military Azawad signatories of the Algiers Platform of June 14, 2014 (CPA,^[10] CMFPR and MAA), also known as "the Platform".^[11]

External links

• The Ouagadougou Declaration, 28 Aug. 2014 (French)

References

1. "Préparatifs de la reprise des négociations inter-maliennes à Alger". www.lefaso.net. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
2. "Recontre des Mouvements de L'Azawad a Ouagadougou". mnlamov.net. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
3. "Mali: les grandes lignes de l'accord signé à Ouagadougou - Afrique - RFI". 19 June 2013. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
4. "Négociations de paix au Mali: l'Algérie appelée à la rescousse". geopolis.francetvinfo.fr. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
5. "Algiers talks a key step towards lasting peace in Mali". ISS Africa. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
6. "Northern Mali armed groups reach cessation of hostilities agreement in the build up to Algiers talks". www.hdcentre.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
7. "Mali : Ibrahim Ag Mohamed Assaleh créé la Coalition du peuple pour l'Azawad (CPA) - JeuneAfrique.com". 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
8. "Mali and Tuareg rebels swap prisoners ahead peace talks". BBC News. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
9. "Ibrahim Abba Kantao, président de la dissidence de la CMFPR : "nous sommes exclus des pourparlers d'Alger parce que nous refusons de reconnaitre l'Azawad"". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
10. "Mali : Ibrahim Ag Mohamed Assaleh créé la Coalition du peuple pour l'Azawad (CPA)". JeuneAfrique.com. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
11. "Rapport sur le Mali et le Sahel et les activités de la Mission de l'Union Africaine pour le Mali et le Sahel". ReliefWeb. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 2015-07-14.