After eight months of tough negotiations and amid an upsurge of violence that threatened to jeopardise the whole process, Malian ministers and six armed rebel groups reached a peace agreement in Algiers on Sunday 1 March 2015. The draft deal calls for the reconstruction of the country's national unity in a way that respects its territorial integrity and takes into account its ethnic and cultural diversity. This will be achieved through the creation of powerful elected regional assemblies led by a directly elected president, as well as greater representation of the northern populations in national institutions.

Gianni Pittella MEP, president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, stated:

"We welcome this peace agreement for all the people of Mali as they will be the first beneficiaries, after months of instability and insecurity. We regret the delay demanded by the northern rebels and call on all parties to follow in the footsteps of the Malian government and immediately sign the agreement.

"We congratulate Algeria on its leadership, as well as the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, and the EU member states for their mediation efforts. This is the effective diplomacy we support and we are pleased to see such positive early results."

Norbert Neuser MEP, S&D co-ordinator on Africa, added:

"The EU will monitor the implementation of this agreement and will make sure that it achieves the purpose it is designed for.

"We hope this will set an example for the regional resolution of ongoing conflicts. Peace and reconciliation are the only solutions and we will continue to support the EU working in this direction."