On Wednesday, an army fighter plane flew over the city of Kidal, the ex-rebels immediately denounced a “violation” of the 2014 ceasefire. The following day, Thursday, the city celebrated the anniversary of the proclamation of independence of Azwad in 2012, despite the 2015 peace agreement. Not an official press release on this explosive sequence, neither from the authorities, nor from any party, of any side whatsoever. RFI has gathered off-the-air political reactions.
” The best expression of the rise of the army “: for this president of a formation which supports the transition, the overview of Kidal, “ without prior consent ” of the CMA, is legitimate because “ Kidal is part of Mali. What shocks him is the ” parade “organized each year in the stronghold of the ex-rebels for the anniversary of “ an independence they gave up themselves “, the armed groups of the North having signed the peace agreement of 2015 consecrating the unity of the Malian State.
” There is nothing to reproach the Malian army “, continues a former minister, who also defends the right of the army to fly over the entire national territory. According to him, the Azawadian celebrations repeated every April 6, on the other hand, constitute “ unnecessary provocation. »
These celebrations, another former minister judges them “ unbearable “, but for him, the overflight of Kidal by an army fighter plane, unprecedented since 2012, is not better: “ it’s a highly reckless provocation, they’re playing with fire “, he believes, before wondering: “ is war the option chosen by the transitional government? If so, let them say so! »
While the most radical activists on both sides are making bellicose statements, political leaders on all sides are calling for appeasement and unanimously believe that the priority is to save the peace agreement. ” We could search in vain tomorrow for what we refuse today “, concludes in a proverbial way a figure of the opposition.
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