By Mustafa Khalifa.
Ghat, 9 September 2015:
Attempts by Amazigh elders from the Jebel Nafusa to end the fighting between Tuareg and Tebu . . .[restrict]militias in the south-western oasis town of Obari have ground to a halt because of ceasefire violations, a senior local Tuareg official has said.
According to Mohamed Abdul Karim, a member of the Social Council of Tuareg Tribes, there has been a two-day meeting between the two communities’ representatives at which it was agreed to set up a joint committee chaired by an Amazighi. At it there was agreement on a number of points as well as disagreements on others, but it had agreed a second meeting in Sebha to try and iron them out. However, the main problem, he claimed, was the continuing attacks by Tebus. They had to return to their positions, he insisted. There could be no confidence in negotiations while the violations continued.
Also according to him, the Amazigh mediators had proposed a month-long ceasefire during which the joint committee would work out terms for a permanent peace, including the withdrawal of armed forces from the area. Describing the Amazigh proposals as “excellent” and saying they could work, Abdul Karim claimed that the Tebus had rejected a truce longer than 10 days.
Nonetheless, there would now be a further meeting to overcome the problem, he said. [/restrict]
