ALGIERS, Algeria, May 30 (UPI) -- A stronger relationship with Algeria is needed to ensure the African community can respond to ongoing needs in Mali, ICRC President Peter Maurer said.
Maurer briefed reporters at the conclusion of his three-day visit to Algeria. He discussed with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal ways in which the Algerian Red Crescent and International Committee of the Red Cross could work on addressing the humanitarian situation in the region.
Militants who attacked a natural gas installation in Algeria in January said the assault was in response to Algerian support for the French military intervention in Mali.
"The ICRC would like to reinforce its partnership with the Algerian Red Crescent, especially in the south of the country, in order to respond to the needs of the people suffering the effects of the conflict in Mali," Maurer said
European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva said at a mid-May donors' conference for Mali that broad-based reconciliation was essential for the country's long-term recovery efforts.
Malian President Dioncounda Traore told the conference the interim government was committed to national elections in July. An estimated $4 billion in pledges were offered during the conference.
