- Title: NIGER: President Mahamadou Issoufou visits troops set to be deployed to Mali
- Date: 22nd January 2013
- Summary: OUALAM MILITARY CAMP, ON THE ROAD FROM NIAMEY TO MALI BORDER, NIGER (JANUARY 22, 2013) (REUTERS) CONVOY WITH NIGER PRESIDENT MAHAMADOU ISSOUFOU ARRIVING AT MILITARY CAMP IN OUALAM ISSOUFOU COMING OUT OF CAR, SALUTING SOLDIERS NIGERIEN LT. COL. GABRIEL SALUTING PRESIDENT GABRIEL ORDERING TROOPS TO SALUTE VARIOUS OF TROOPS IMAM FROM NIAMEY'S GREAT MOSQUE, CHEIKH DIABERI ISMAEL, PRAYING FOR TROOPS ISSOUFOU JOINING HANDS IN PRAYER (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGER PRESIDENT, MAHAMADOU ISSOUFOU, ADDRESSING TROOPS, SAYING: "We are going to war. A war imposed on us by terrorists and traffickers of all kinds, an unjust war, from which the peaceful citizens of northern Mali are suffering terribly SOLDIERS LISTENING SOLDIERS' BOOTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGER PRESIDENT, MAHAMADOU ISSOUFOU, ADDRESSING TROOPS, SAYING: "I'm confident in your burning desire for victory. Whether this war is fought in a classical way or not, we will win this war." ROW OF NIGERIEN SOLDIERS WITH ARTILLERY PIECES ISSOUFOU REVIEWING TROOPS (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGERIEN ARMY LT. COL. GABRIEL, SAYING: "We can say with confidence that these troops had been waiting for their departure because everyone, at all level, is very much aware of the importance of this mission. So our morale is high." NIGERIEN SOLDIER WITH GUN GROUP OF FRENCH SOLDIERS ROW OF NIGERIEN SOLDIERS STANDING NEXT TO TANKS ARTILLERY MOUNTED ON TOP OF TANKS
- Embargoed: 6th February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Niger
- Country: Niger
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA135PK6XUTGNUW0JPDEIKHB0RN
- Story Text: Niger president Mahamadou Issoufou on Tuesday (January 22) visited troops set to be deployed as part of an African military force that is gathering to support French operations against Islamist rebels in northern Mali.
Issoufou addressed the troops after joining in a prayer said by the Imam of Niamey's central mosque.
He condemned the al Qaeda-linked Islamist alliance which is controlling the north of Mali.
"We are going to war. A war imposed on us by traffickers of all kinds, an unjust war, from which the peaceful citizens of northern Mali are suffering terribly," Issoufou told the forces in the camp 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Mali-Niger border.
"I'm confident in your burning desire for victory. Whether this war is fought in a classical way or not, we will win this war," Issoufou added.
The troops had been trained by a group of French officers and were now ready for deployment, Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel from the Niger army said.
"We can say with confidence that these troops had been waiting for their departure because everyone, at all level, is very much aware of the importance of this mission. So our morale is high," Gabriel said.
France, which launched air strikes in Mali 11 days ago to halt a surprise Islamist offensive toward the capital Bamako, has urged a swift deployment of the U.N.-mandated African force to back up its 2,150-strong ground forces already there.
Niger's armed forces, which completed their training a month ago, are expected to advance toward the rebel-held north Malian city of Gao in collaboration with Chadian troops. It was not clear when exactly they would cross the border.
Gao, the largest city of Mali's north, has been hit by French air strikes in recent days.
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