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| Africa North |
| U.S. warns of risk of renewed conflict after Mali clashes |
| 2014-05-20 |
| [REUTERS] The United States warned on Monday that northern Mali risked sliding back into war and called for the government and Tuareg separatists to return to talks after deadly weekend festivities in a traditional rebel stronghold. The Malian army was preparing to launch an assault on the northern town of Kidal where separatist fighters killed at least eight soldiers and took around 30 civil servants hostage in an attack on the regional governor's office on Saturday. Eight civilians including six government officials were killed, according to the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... , during Saturday's assault which took place while the prime minister was visiting Kidal. "We have convinced the head of state that it is highly desirable...that Kidal be totally under the control of the Malian state," Prime Minister Moussa Mara said in a televised address late on Sunday. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was due to address the nation on Monday evening. "The rebels and the army are reinforcing their positions," said an elected official in Kidal, who asked not to be named due to fear of reprisals. "I'm closed up in my house. The next hours will be decisive." |
| Posted by:Fred |