Mali Rebels Reject Proposed Peace Deal After Talks With Supporters

Rebels in northern Mali have rejected a preliminary peace deal after days of talks with grassroots supporters, saying the document did not tackle the root causes of the conflict but that they remained committed to negotiations.
The proposal, drawn up after months of talks in Algeria and signed by the government in Bamako earlier this month, is aimed at tackling decades of rebellion in Mali's desert north, where Islamists militants are also battling French and U.N. troops.
In a statement late on Sunday, the Coordination of Azawad Movements rebel group said the proposal, put forward after eight months of talks, failed to meet their expectations.
Moussa Ag Assarid, the CMA's diplomatic representative to the European Union, told Reuters on Monday, "All the commissions that worked on the document find that it cannot bring peace. We could follow up with further talks with Bamako to find a document that is acceptable and realistic."
The United Nations has urged the rebels to sign the proposed deal but demonstrations broke out in Kidal, the rebel stronghold in northern Mali, against it.