UN General Assembly
1995

stability as well as the security of the country. It is precisely to ensure the country’s security and stability that my Government undertook all the efforts that finally led to the Agreement of 24 April 1995, between the Government and the leaders of the Tuareg rebellion, joined together in the Armed Resistance Organization. As the Assembly knows, since 1991 there has been in the northern part of Niger an armed rebellion claiming to represent the Tuareg community and calling for the establishment of a federal regime, which it believes is the only one that can provide its people with free self-government. The discussions undertaken with the leaders of the rebellion constantly stressed the need to avoid useless bloodshed, and to focus on dialogue, the major focus of which would be the best interests of the country. Thanks to mediation efforts by the friendly countries of Algeria, Burkina Faso and France, to which I once again extend the gratitude of the Nigerian people, we were able on 24 April 1995 to sign a definitive peace agreement. That agreement, based on the