THE JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION: RECONCILIATION IN MALI?

In Mali, Tuareg rebels from the Democratic Alliance for Change faction agreed to lay down their arms under an Algerian-brokered peace deal, as government operations against another Tuareg rebel faction continued.  Mali is eager to bring a series of Tuareg rebellions to an end to allow for more intensive oil exploration by Chinese and Australian firms already at work in northern Mali. The leader of the month-long revolt,Ibrahim Ag Bahanga, fled the country.  He repeatedly rejected participation in the Algerian-brokered peace talks that have brought most Tuareg rebels back into the national fold. Under pressure from the military offensive, Ag Bahanga had a sudden change of heart and appealed to Bamako and Algiers to reopen the peace process, but Mali’s government has run out of patience with Ag Bahanga and professed that there would be no further negotiations. 

Question to the Blogosphere:  What are the barriers to solving this conflict once and for all (after years of sporadic fighting)?  Do you think the fact that Mali has oil wealth to extract is a reason why common ground between the government and the rebel factions has yet to be found?  Would reconciliation and negotiation provide a better scenario for the government than their best alternative to a negotiated agreement?  What about for the rebels?  Do you think Algeria could be a useful third party for ending the conflict?