Brussels, 11/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 11 June, the European Union indicated that it gave its active support to the talks underway in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, between the Malian regime and the Touareg rebels, as the talks are a real “breakthrough” before the presidential elections to be held in Mali in July.
The EU actively supports talks in Ouagadougou between the Malian government envoy, Tiébilé Dramé, and those representing the Azawad National Liberation Movement and the Azawad High Council for Unity, said the spokesman for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, Michael Mann. He went on to add that the talks are a crucial breakthrough for reaching an interim agreement that will make redeployment of the State of Mali's authority possible throughout the territory and the holding of elections in July in line with the timetable set. The Burkinabe president, Blaise Compaoré, proposed a draft agreement to the two parties. It must allow the presidential elections scheduled for 28 July to be held in Kidal, a town to the north of Mali controlled by the Touareg rebels. The EU supports this mediation as a “witness and facilitator” alongside the ECOWAS, the United Nations and the African Union in particular, Mann said. (LC/transl.jl)