Mali’s army has re-entered the rebel-held town of Kidal as part of efforts to improve security before the presidential election, officials have said.
Tuareg rebels captured Kidal after a French-led offensive forced militant Islamists out in February.
The Mali security presence consisted of 200 soldiers that arrived in the town on Friday.
Summarising the stabilising mission, military spokesman Souleymane Maiga, said,
“This is a peaceful, coordinated arrival-everything is going well.”
The Tuaregs have been fighting for autonomy in the north since Mali gained independence from France in 1960.