Frace intervention in Mali to last 'as long as necessary backed by the UK
France has begun an operation to push back rebel forces in Mali. A state of
emergency has been declared throughout the country.
"French forces brought their support this afternoon to Malian army units to
fight against terrorist elements," French President Francois Hollande said
in a statement. "This operation will last as long as is necessary."
On Friday France began air strikes against the rebels. Backed by
international forces, the Malian army was able to stop the advance by the
Al-Qaeda-linked militants and recapture the key town of Konna, which had
been seized by insurgent forces earlier, said the country’s defense
officials.
Britain supports France's decision to intervene, UK Foreign Secretary
William Hague said in a message on Twitter.
A source at Sevare airport, located 40 miles (60 km) south of Konna, told
Reuters that around a dozen war planes had arrived on Friday.
Residents of the city also said that Western soldiers arrived late on
Thursday, and reported the arrival of military helicopters and army
reinforcements.
"Helicopters have bombarded rebel positions. The operation will continue,"
a senior military source in Bamako said.
Earlier Friday, Hollande vowed to stop the advance of al-Qaeda linked
rebels who control northern Mali and have headed south in recent days.
In a speech to France's diplomatic corps, the leader said he was ready to
respond to Mali's call for help.
France
"is prepared to stop the terrorist offensive,"
Hollande said. He did not provide any specific details.
It comes just one day after Hollande's Malian counterpart, Dioncounda
Traore, sought help from France in order to stem the rebels' advance. The
two leaders will meet in Paris on Wednesday, a French diplomatic source
told Reuters.
The UN Security Council has also called for a 'swift deployment' of foreign
troops to Mali. It has approved plans to send some 3,000 African troops to
recapture the country's north.
Nigeria and Senegal are also providing assistance to Malian government
forces.
Until now, France and other EU nations have limited their plans for
assistance, offering only training and logistics to support Mali's army.
Meanwhile, France's Foreign Ministry has issued a travel alert for Mali,
advising its residents to leave the country.
[image: Women hold banners urging national talks to end the political
paralysis in the south of Mali, in the capital Bamako January 10, 2013.
(Reuters/Francois Rihouay)]
"Due to the serious deterioration in the security situation in Mali, the
threat of attack or abduction is growing," the ministry said. "It is
strongly recommended that people avoid unnecessarily exposing themselves to
risks."
Extremists, which have controlled the country's north for months, captured
the city of Konna on Thursday.
"We are actually in Konna for the jihad [holy war]," spokesman for the
Ansar Dine militant group, Sanda Abu Mohammed, told AFP.
Ansar Dine and Mujao have controlled most of northern Mali since last
April. They formed an alliance with Tuareg rebels following a military coup
in March.
However, their alliance quickly collapsed, with the Islamists capturing the
area's urban centers and marginalizing the Tuareg rebels.
The Islamists have been accused of war crimes and attempting to impose
strict Sharia law throughout the region, harboring fears that the area
could soon become a hub for al-Qaeda linked militants.
The rebels are currently threatening the take over the city of Mopti, which
would leave the capital Bamako more vulnerable.
Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, stressed in an
interview with RT that there is a lot of US and French involvement in the
crisis.
He noted that Mali’s interim president, Dioncounda Traore, has close ties
with the United States and was installed by US-trained Captain Amadou
Sanogo, who led last year’s coup d’état.
Azikiwe believes that Paris and Washington are using the involvement of
radical Islamist groups in the rebellion as a pretext for military
intervention in Mali. “I do believe that both France and the United States
have long-term plans for military intervention in Africa.”
------------------------------------------ nach Niederschlag von Libyan
-----------------------------------------------------
Jeff Steinberg, leitender Redakteur des Executive Intelligence Review,
glaubt France für die Unruhen in dem afrikanischen Land sollten
verantwortlich gemacht werden, die Verknüpfung der Rebellion im Norden
Malis zum Sturz des Gaddafi-Regimes in Libyen.
"Die Rebellen Operationen im Norden Malis seit geraumer Zeit existiert,
aber es war nur in der Zeit nach dem Sturz des Gaddafi Regierung in Libyen
- die von Frankreich, Großbritannien und den Vereinigten Staaten im
Besonderen gefördert wurde - es war erst danach dass Sie einen massiven
Zustrom von Waffen aus Libyen in die Hände der Rebellen, die im Grunde nahm
einen low-intensity conflict und warf es in eine viel größere Krise, wo die
Rebellen unterlegen die malische Armee hatte, "Steinberg sagte RT.
"So plötzlich, wie durch ein schlecht fehlerhafte Regime Change Policy in
Libyen haben wir Instabilität verbreitet in vielen Teilen des afrikanischen
Kontinents und darüber hinaus. Also ist es eine Art von Gipfel der Ironie,
dass die Französisch wird gebeten zu kommen und aufräumen ein
Durcheinander, dass sie selbst dazu beigetragen, durch die Aktionen im Jahr
2011 in Libyen. "
Received on Mon Jan 14 2013 - 14:16:18 EST
