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272 CHAPTER 6signing of the National Pact on 11 April 1992. Far more elaborate than the TamanrassetAgreement, the National Pact consisted of six main clauses, varioussub-clauses and a total of 86 paragraphs. I will here briefly describe the sixmain clauses, their implications and, especially, the lack of their application. 33I: Special social economic and administrative status for the NorthThe idea reflects the intent of the MFUA to gain a form of autonomy for the KelTamasheq within the framework of the Malian state, a weakening of theTamasheq position in comparison to the ideals of the Tanekra. The MalianGovernment and general public however, were extremely hostile to any ideaeven hinting at the dissolution of national unity. One of the clauses in theNational Pact was explicitly called ‘On the consecration of solidarity andnational unity in Northern Mali’. The idea of autonomy for the North wastacitly reshaped into the administrative decentralisation of the state. Not only inthe North but in all of Mali. Ironically, the decentralisation process started firstin the Southern Régions in 1996 before being implemented in the North in1999.II: Tax exemptions for the inhabitants of the North for the duration of ten yearsThe demand had been made by the MFUA to alleviate the economic need of theinhabitants of the North, struck by four decades of rebellion and drought. Thetax exemption had been granted, but was never implemented and was more orless informally dropped as a demand by the MFUA with new rounds ofnegotiations. However, as in the previous decades, tax collection in the Northremained a futile effort. The tax exemption was made after new negotiations in2007.III: The creation of two special funds to reconstruct the NorthThe Development and Reintegration Fund was meant to support former rebelsfinancially in their efforts to reintegrate civilian life once the conflict would besettled. The Fund for the Assistance and Indemnification of Conflict Victimswas analogous to the fund created to alleviate the needs of the victims of thedemonstrations that brought the fall of Moussa Traoré in March 1991. Bothfunds for the North were formally created, but remained empty. The MalianGovernment claimed it did not have the money to fill the funds and looked fordonor aid to provide funding. Donor countries were reluctant to provide thenecessary means. Only in 1995 did money become available for the reinte-33The integral text of the National Pact can be downloaded at:http://www.kidal.info/docs/pacte_national.pdf. Last visited 21/07/2009.