- Title: NIGERIA: West African bloc to commit 3,300 troops in Mali battle plan
- Date: 12th November 2012
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (NOVEMBER 11, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE OF PRESS BRIEFING ECOWAS PRESIDENT, KADRE DESIRE OUEDRAOGO, AND ECOWAS CHAIRMAN, ALASSANE OUATTARA, SIGNING DOCUMENTS DELEGATES FROM MALI AND NIGER LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (French) ECOWAS CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST, ALASSANE OUATTARA, SAYING: "There will be 3,300 troops in total who will be supporting the 5,000 Mali military forces who are on the front line as wanted by the Mali authorities." SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) ECOWAS CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST, ALASSANE OUATTARA, SAYING: "We are waiting for the green light from the (United Nations) Security Council which we expect hopefully by the end of this month November or beginning December, and the intervention forces will be in place a few days after that." WIDE SHOT OF JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) ECOWAS CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT OF IVORY COAST, ALASSANE OUATTARA, SAYING: "Now I would like to insist that for the most part the MNLA (Mouvement national pour la liberation de l'Azawad) and the Ansar Dine are Malian. So it is important that all of Mali regroup and work to return Mali to it's integrity and peace. And that also they organise democratic elections as rapidly as possible. We are hoping by the second trimester of next year." MID OF PHOTOGRAPHERS SOUNDBITE) (French) ECOWAS PRESIDENT, KADRE DESIRE OUEDRAOGO, READING THE COMMUNIQUE: "Comprises of the following specific decisions: A) on Mali - the conference reiterates that dialogue remains the preferred option for the resolution of the political crisis in Mali. However, as far as the security situation is concerned, the use of force is necessary against the trans-border terrorists and criminal networks that threaten international peace and security." DELEGATES LISTENING DIGNITARIES LEAVING
- Embargoed: 27th November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Business,War / Fighting,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9IZJVE10AVDXTB308LLA5IKOY
- Story Text: West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS agrees to commit 3,300 troops to help recapture northern Mali from rebel forces.
West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS agreed on Sunday (November 11) to commit 3,300 troops to help recapture northern Mali from rebel who took over after a coup in March.
The ECOWAS Chairman, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara told reporters that the troops would mostly come from Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso, but other West African countries and two or three non-African states may also contribute forces.
"We are waiting for the green light from the (United Nations) Security Council which we expect hopefully by the end of this month November or beginning December, and the intervention forces will be in place a few days after that," said Ouattara.
The deployment would take place in accordance with a military plan drawn up by experts from Africa, the U.N. and Europe in Mali's capital Bamako last week.
The plan covers a six-month period, with a preparatory phase for training and the establishment of bases in Mali's south, followed by combat operations in the north, Malian army sources told Reuters.
ECOWAS signed off on the latest draft on Sunday but said it still hoped to avoid conflict through negotiations.
"Now I would like to insist that for the most part the MNLA (Mouvement national pour la liberation de l'Azawad) and the Ansar Dine are Malian. So it is important that all of Mali regroup and work to return Mali to it's integrity and peace. And that also they organise democratic elections as rapidly as possible. We are hoping by the second trimester of next year," said the ECOWAS chairman.
"Authority reiterates that dialogue remains the preferred option," said a communique released after the meeting of West African leaders in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Sunday.
"However ... recourse to force may be indispensable in order to dismantle terrorist and transnational criminal networks that pose a threat to international peace and security."
The U.N. Security Council gave African leaders 45 days from Oct. 12 to draw up a plan for military intervention to retake the north, but diplomats say any such operation is months away.
Once viewed as an example of progress towards democracy in Africa, Mali fell into chaos after a coup in March that toppled the president and left a power vacuum that was quickly exploited by rebels to take over the north.
Foreign powers are divided on the pace of an intervention. Regional powerhouse Algeria says it prefers a negotiated solution, while former colonial master France - which has several citizens held hostage by al Qaeda-linked groups in the Sahara - wants a swift war.
Delegates from Islamist group Ansar Dine are holding talks with regional mediator Blaise Compaore, the president of Burkina Faso, and members of the Tuareg rebel movement MNLA have sought to join efforts to solve the crisis.
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