By Michel Arseneault, June 22, 2015, published in Radio France Internationale.

Activists and analysts in Mali hope that a landmark deal between the government and a Tuareg-led rebel coalition will bring stability to the north, the cradle of several Tuareg uprisings since the 1960s. But there is only cautious optimism that the Algiers Accord, signed this weekend will end years of unrest.

 The UN-brokered peace accord calls for the creation of elected regional assemblies but stops short of autonomy or federalism, a long-time rebel demand.

There are hopes the accord will allow Mali to find peace and prosperity, according to Camilla Toulmin, director of the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.

“Peaceful economic development is urgently needed, especially in the north,” she said. “This opens up the possibility – looking backwards – to try and ensure that many of the things that went wrong in the past can be put right and – looking forwards – building much better systems of governance, representation and accountability.”

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