The Tuareg rebel alliance has taken over the town of Anefis after the withdrawal of pro-government militia.

Peace negotiations are expected to resume in Mali after the former Tuareg rebel alliance, the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) on Friday, September 18, 2015 entered and took control of the northeastern town of Anefis they lost to the platform of pro-government militia Gatia during serious fighting in August 2015. Over 10 people died in the fighting.

The capture of Anefis by Gatia was largely condemned as it was a breach to the peace deal CMA signed with government and its allied militia and this compelled CMA representatives  to withdraw from the talks and the  committee put in place to implement the peace deal whose aim is to bring back peace and stability to Mali. When fighting between GATIA militants and those of CMA erupted on August 15, 2015, MINUSMA announced the putting in place of a security zone of 20 kilometres  and said it will act accordingly if any members of government-allied militias act within the area of safety.  

It condemned the fighting and said it was determined to protect the civilian population.  As way forward out of the stalemate, peace negotiators requested both CMA and the platform of loyalist militia to maintain the positions they held before the peace deal. Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita personally committed himself to ensure that GATIA withdraw from Anefis, a condition for negotiations to  resume.

The platform of pro-government militia following negotiations finally withdrew from Anefis on Monday, September 14, 2015. The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) welcomed the withdrawal, Saudi Gazette reported. However, on September 17, 2015, CMA fighters clashed with pro-government militias in northeastern Mali, with the two sides accusing each other of starting the fighting, breaching a peace deal signed this year. pressure, they left."