The United Nations' peacekeepers in Mali have disclosed they would establish a 20-kilometre "security zone" around the town of Kidal in restive northern Mali with effect from Tuesday following deadly clashes between a pro-government group and Tuareg rebels.
News gathered reveals that fighting erupted Monday at Agnefis, about 120 kilometres south of the strategic town of Kidal, "killing several people", a regional security source said.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali known as MINUSMA said in a statement it was a "blatant violation" of the recently agreed Mali peace deal known as the Algiers Accord.
The international community, as well as the population, is concerned by the increasing number of these violations, which could hinder the progress made towards a stable and lasting peace in Mali," it said.
However, a MINUSMA security source told our correspondent that the clashes had left "at least 10 dead and many injured".
Fahad Ag Almahmoud, a top official from the pro-government Imghad Tuareg group spoke of 15 deaths, including those of some military leaders from the main Tuareg rebel group CMA or Coordination of Movements for Azawad.
The situation has stabilised. The fighting has temporarily stopped, Ag Almahmoud said on Monday afternoon.
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