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BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A government-allied militia in Mali said Friday it won't follow demands by an international peace monitoring group to leave a northern town that it took from separatists last week.
Fihroun Maiga, a spokesman for the militia, said it did not want Tuareg separatists, who previously occupied the town of Anefis, to return.
"We have said we will not leave Anefis without occupation of the town by the Malian army," because the separatists would then come back, Maiga said. He said any threats of sanctions by the United Nations to get them to leave will not work.
The United Nations on Thursday said it was investigating who was responsible for breaking the terms of a peace accord signed by the government, allied militias and separatists in June.
An official peace monitoring group on Thursday also condemned the occupation of the town and demanded the immediate evacuation of the government-allied militia members.
Fighting broke out Aug. 15-17 between the GATIA militia and the main Tuareg separatist group, Coordination of Azawad Movements.
Government-allied groups had come to Tuareg separatist occupied territory in July. Their initial presence was accepted, but separatists say their continued stay went against the terms of the accord. Clashes began and the militia members on Aug. 17 pushed the separatists from Anefis, located about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) northeast of Bamako.
It is the last major town on the northern route to Kidal, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Anefis. The U.N. had on Aug. 18 set up a security parameter to protect civilians there from the fighting and to keep GATIA fighters out.
Stability in Mali is also threatened by continued violence by Islamic extremists whose attacks in the north have begun moving further south.
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