Military Council in Mali Looks to New Peace Talks After Ending Agreement with Separatists

The military council in Mali issued a decree to establish a committee to organize peace talks and national reconciliation on Friday, a day after ending the 2015 peace agreement with the Tuareg separatists and accusing Algeria, which mediated between the parties, of interfering in the council's affairs. The decision to terminate what is known as the Algeria Agreement threatens to further destabilize the conflict-torn West African country. Algeria, which shares a border with Mali over 1,300 kilometers long, indicated that "this could put the entire region at risk." The Tuareg rebels acknowledged on Friday the termination of the 2015 peace agreement but did not mention the new initiative.