IVORY COAST: ECOWAS chiefs of staff meet in Abidjan to discuss a crisis in northern Mali where fighting betweenTuareg rebels seeking to carve out a desert homeland and government troops is threatening regional security

Record ID: 182164

  • Title: IVORY COAST: ECOWAS chiefs of staff meet in Abidjan to discuss a crisis in northern Mali where fighting betweenTuareg rebels seeking to carve out a desert homeland and government troops is threatening regional security
  • Date: 12th March 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MILITARY OFFICERS IN MEETING ROOM / MALI NAME PLACE TAG (SOUNDBITE) (French) COL ADAMA DEMBELE, MALI CHIEF OF STAFF SAYING: "Naturally, Mali being an element of this region is waiting for help. The nature of this help will depend on the open mindedness within the community (ECOWAS). But we should realise that in order to deal with a crisis, history has always shown that you should combine political action with military action. Generally the two go together particularly whilst we're talking about dealing with a rebellion." VARIOUS OF MEETING/ OFFICERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) SOUMAILA BAKAYOKO, IVORIAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF AND NEW ECOWAS ARMY CHAIR SAYING: "New dangers still appear and threaten to fill the market affecting the development of our countries. The security threat is latent, multifaceted and pernicious." VARIOUS NIGERIAN CHIEF OF STAFF ON THE TABLE, DOCUMENT ON THE TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (French) SOUMAILA BAKAYOKO IVORIAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF AND NEW ECOWAS ARMY CHAIR SAYING: "Individual solutions initiated by countries have showed their limits because they are not adapted to deal with these new types of dangers. That is why we need to find a global solution." VARIOUS OFFICERS WALKING OUT OF MEETING ROOM VARIOUS OF PHOTO OP WITH MILITARY CHIEFS
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cote d'Ivoire
  • Country: Ivory Coast
  • Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA93LVGQYYV960SAGQWV36TIVV6
  • Story Text: Military chiefs from members of the regional grouping ECOWAS met in Ivory Coast's capital, Abidjan on Friday (March 10) to discuss measures to quell violence in northern Mali.
    Tuareg nomads, who have fought several rebellions for a sovereign homeland in the Sahara desert, are believed by Malian authorities and other regional leaders to have received an influx of weapons and men in the aftermath of Libya's war. Their last rebellion ended in 2009.
    The rebels took control of the key garrison town of Tessalit after a weeks-long siege forced soldiers and civilians to evacuate, Mali's government said on Sunday (March 11).
    In February, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS urged the Tuaregs to "immediately" end their offensive in Mali which has killed dozens and caused a severe humanitarian situation with thousands of IDP's crossing borders into Mauritania and Niger to flee fighting.
    The 16-member regional group said it had approved the release of $3 million to assist Mali with the humanitarian consequences of the rebellion.
    Mali's chief of staff, Col. Adama Dembele, speaking after the meeting in Abidjan said they were seeking military as well as political help to end the fighting.
    "Naturally, Mali being an element of this region is waiting for help. The nature of this help will depend on the open mindedness within the community (ECOWAS. But we should realise that in order to deal with a crisis, history has always shown that you should combine political action with military action. Generally the two go together particularly whilst we're talking about dealing with a rebellion," said Dembele.
    Analysts and regional leaders have raised concerns that escalating fighting between the Tuareg rebels and the Malian government forces could plunge the entire region into chaos.
    "New dangers still appear and threaten to fill the market affecting the development of our countries. The security threat is latent, multifaceted and pernicious," said Soumaila Bakayoko, Ivorian Army Chief of Staff and new Ecowas Military Chair.
    "Individual solutions initiated by countries have showed their limits because they are not adapted to deal with these new types of dangers. That is why we need to find a global solution," he said.
    Dozens of people have been reported killed and more than 100,000 people have fled their homes since the rebels launched their offensive in mid-January.
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