Development authority established for troubled northern region

A state body mandated to coordinate development efforts in northern Mali, the Autorité pour le développement intégré du nord-Mali (ADIN), was inaugurated on Tuesday in Bamako, AFP reported. The French news agency said the inauguration ceremony was attended by various state officials, including Prime Minister Mande Sidibe, who stressed the need for lasting peace in northern Mali. Northern Mali saw fighting in the early to mid-1990s between Tuareg and Arab rebels and the military. The instability took a heavy toll on civilians, prompting many to seek refuge in neighbouring countries and safer areas within Mali. Peace pacts led to the return of the bulk of the refugees in the late 1990s. However, in the past two years, banditry has rendered parts of the north unsafe. Travellers have been killed, vehicles have been hijacked and people have been abducted, including soldiers.