Mali junta ends peace deal with Tuareg rebels

Mali's military rulers ended a 2015 peace deal with Tuareg rebels in the country’s north, a move that could further destabilise the Sahel nation.

In a statement read on state television, the junta spokesman Col Abdoulaye Maïga said it ended the deal due to a "change in [the] posture of certain signatory groups" and "acts of hostility" by the lead mediator of the deal, Algeria.

The peace agreement was seen as key to maintaining stability in the country, as Tuaregs had carried out violent acts against the central government since 2012.

There has not been any reaction from the Algerian government.

The Tuareg group said it was not surprised by the decision.

Last month, the group suspended their participation in the deal pending the "organisation" of a crisis meeting with the Malian government "on neutral ground”.

The rebels have escalated attacks in recent months and gained some ground in northern Mali.

But they have also faced an onslaught from the Malian armed forces, who are working with people from the Wagner Group, a Russian military contractor. French forces and UN peacekeepers have also left the country.