African news explained
Ansar Dine splitters ready to talk to Mali government
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Play - 05:58
A new Islamist rebel group says it is ready for talks with the government of Mali in a bid to end the French-led offensive in the north of the country. The group, known as the Islamic Movement for Azawad (MIA), has broken away from Ansar Dine. In a statement, the MIA called for "an inclusive dialogue" leading to a "peaceful solution." Mark Schroeder of Stratfor says that Kidal, in Mali's embattled North, is a profoundly divided ethnic Tuareg city.