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REBELLION: AL-JEBHA 271town of El Golea under the auspices of the Algerian Government. They werepursued that same month in the Malian town of Mopti. The main issue duringthese two initial rounds was with whom the Malian Government shouldnegotiate. By December 1991 the once united Tanekra had become divided intofour movements: MPA; FIAA; FPLA; and ARLA. Under pressure from theAlgerian mediators, the four movements tried to overcome their differences bycreating an umbrella organisation that would conduct negotiations on behalf ofall movements. This organisation was called the Mouvements et Fronts Unifiésde l’Azawad (MFUA). The MFUA united intellectuals and military leaders ofall fronts, and even from outside the fronts, with the sole purpose of negotiatingwith the Malian state. As such, it became a sort of semi-autonomous diplomaticcorps, only partly controlled by the movements, but acting on their behalf. Aseries of meetings took place between the MFUA and the Malian Governmentin Algiers between January and March 1992. The Algerian Government providedmediation, together with two independent mediators: the Frenchman EdgarPisani, director of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris (and a personalcounsellor to French President Mitterand); and Ahmed Baba Miské, a dissidentMauritanian politician based in Paris. Their attempt at mediation was howeverunsuccessfully aborted. Their intervention would be the last French attempt atmediation in the conflict. The first round of meetings under single Algerianmediation took place between 22 and 24 January; the second between 12 and 15February; and the last between 15 and 25 March 1992. These led to the finalPhoto 6.1Negotiations for the National Pact, January 1992. Edgar Pisani (right, white shirt)in conversation with Adberrahmane ag Galla (left, suit).In the back-ground (turban, sunglasses), Iyad ag Ghali.[Courtesy of Mohamed Lamine ag Mohamed Fall]