The government of Mali has called on people who had abandoned the city of Kidal to escape fighting between the belligerents to return home, said the Minister of Reconciliation, Peace and National Cohesion Major Colonel Ismael Wague in a press release.
Wague is responsible for the Agreement for Peace and National Reconciliation in Mali.
"The population of Kidal who have left the city for fear of the consequences of possible confrontations between the FAMa [Malian Army] and terrorist groups, to return there," he said.
The minister emphasized that the FAMa is in control of the town and is protecting the people.
"[The FAMa troops] now control the Kidal region, are ensuring the full protection of people and their property, in line with their regalian mission," he assured.
The minister assured the population that all measures have been taken to avoid any confusion and to facilitate the return and settlement of returnees in their locality.
On November 15, the governor of the Kidal region, Colonel Fode Malick Sissoko, imposed a curfew from 8 pm to 6 am on the entire territory of the 8th Kidal region.
This measure is seen as essential for the return of the administration and basic social services in the city occupied by the separatist groups of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) for over a decade.
Kidal, near the Algerian-Nigerian border, has been the epicenter of a decade-long insurgency by Tuareg rebels seeking an independent state. The army launched a ground operation to retake the last towns in the Kidal region on November 9. On Tuesday, the Malian Army returned to the town for the first time in 11 years.