Members of the Malian and Tuareg delegations, after signing an agreement on June 18, 2013 in Ouagadougou. By Ahmed Ouoba (AFP/File)
BAMAKO (AFP) - The clock is ticking for Mali as it scrambles to organise key elections in less than 40 days following a ceasefire deal between the government and separatist Tuareg rebels.The agreement, reached on Tuesday after 10 days of tense negotiations, will enable Malian troops to enter the Tuareg-held city of Kidal in the northeast to secure polls scheduled to take place on July 28.Malians have welcomed the truce but there are fears the deal will be difficult to implement and could unravel after the vote.Malian military sources say the accord envisages the army entering the regional capital "without delay", accompanied by French soldiers and troops from the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA).French President Francois Hollande told a meeting of his cabinet the agreement was "a major breakthrough" and "an important signal for the whole of Africa", his spokesman said.But analysts raised a number of problems with securing a long-term ceasefire, including difficulties in monitoring any disarmament and differentiating Tuareg militants from the diverse range of insurgents infesting Mali's north."Ultimately, this is an interim agreement to allow the organisation of the presidential elections in Kidal...
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