MALI: The town of Ansongo, just five kilometres from Gao, welcomes 150 Niger military vehicles

Record ID: 235943

  • Title: MALI: The town of Ansongo, just five kilometres from Gao, welcomes 150 Niger military vehicles
  • Date: 30th January 2013
  • Summary: ANSONGO, MALI (JANUARY 30, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MILITARY COLUMN OF 4X4 MILITARY VEHICLES COMING DOWN HILL / PEOPLE CHANTING "MALI, MALI" VEHICLES AND TANK DRIVING PAST CROWD MEN HOLDING SIGN READING: "FRANCE, NIGER, MALI, CHAD" NIGER FLAG ON TOP OF VEHICLE NIGERIEN SOLDIER VARIOUS OF MILITARY PICKUPS DRIVING BY CROWD GREETING NIGER COMMANDER RESIDENTS RUNNING AND CHANTING "MALI, NIGER"
  • Embargoed: 14th February 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mali
  • Country: Mali
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA29RVZQ80YOJSRWDXTVBDEOFGJ
  • Story Text: Residents in Ansongo, where Islamists carried out one of their first forced amputations back in July after taking over northern Mali ten months ago, cheered Niger troops who passed through the town on Wednesday (January 30).
    The troops are part of a larger African force known as AFISMA, which is expected to contribute more than 8,000 troops from various countries to the mission to retake Mali from al Qaeda-allied fighters.
    Mali's neighbour to the south said they will send 507 troops in total.
    The bulk of the planned African intervention force for Mali is still struggling to get into the country, hampered by shortages of kit and supplies and lack of airlift capacity.
    Around 2,000 AFISMA troops are already on the ground to fight the Islamists, who have retreated to the rugged northeast mountains of the Adrar des Ifoghas range on the border with Algeria.
    Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Niger and Chad are providing soldiers.
    Burundi and other nations have pledged to contribute.
    Hundreds of soldiers from Chad and Niger with desert warfare experience have already crossed into Mali.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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