Mali government, Tuareg rebels seal peace deal

Nairobi/Bamako, Mali - Mali's government reached a peace agreement with Tuareg rebels, ending fighting in the north of the West African country, Britain's BBC radio said on Friday.

Mediation by Libya made the deal possible, the BBC said. Mali's government agreed to reduce its troops in the north of the country, which is inhabited by members of the Tuareg.

The rebels vowed to release 30 soldiers captured in last month's fighting.

The Tuareg are a historically nomadic people, who traditionally live in the Sahara and Sahel regions of Mali, Niger and Algeria. Because of their traditional clothes, dyed with indigo, they are often referred to as "blue men of the desert."

Tuareg in Niger and Mali felt they were suffering from lack of political representation and economic disadvantages.

In recent years there were repeated armed confrontations between government troops and Tuareg rebels demanding more autonomy. (dpa)

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