alkhabar
Maghreb
Photo: Joe Penney / Reuters
"In Mali, the Tuareg, Fulani, Songhoï do not share the nonsense of the MNLA the Mujao, and Al-Qaeda islamic goups that have controlled the North for three months ", Tuareg Ag Attia Nock, an MP told AFP. He said that the militias that took over the north of the country do not represent the Malians.
Malians feel abandoned by their government which is trying to find international support but it is very slow in coming.
Ecowas wants to form a government of national unity in Mali as the interim government is clearly powerless and a significant portion of the population are unhappy with them. Those at the rally calledfor an end to travel and concensus and called for action. Guinean President Alpha Conde said "a national unity government will have the legitimacy to demand the intervention of troops in North Africa. We can not solve the problem if the North does not resolve first the problem of Bamako. "
But even with a UN Security Council resolution in place backing the intervention or the 3,300 Ecowas force with international logistical and intellegence backing it is not a very large force to deal with such a vast area as northern Mali. It may just about be enough to secure Bamako and the south. The demoralised Malian army proved itself no match for the MNLA and Ansar Dine as their have neither the weapons nor the means to match the Tuareg's mastery of mobile desert warefare .
The outbreak of hostilities between the MNLA and Mujao and Ansar Dine means they are no longer united and this may give negotiators and attackers an opportunity.
The West is straining to avoid any on the ground commitment of troops but African countries like Niger have asked the United States to intervene. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault expressed his determination to prevent AQMI setting up terrorist bases in Northern Mali which threaten the region and the West
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declared that he was confident that the UN Security Council would back a new resolution so that " our African friends" can deal with the situation "with international help , of course."
Many including President Jacob Zuma of South Africa blamed the US and Nato for allowing the disappearance of weapons from Libya to get out of hand and thus accused the west of being responsible for the tragedy that befell Mali. The West counters that Africa has to be responsible for its own future but it clearly needs help.
Malians feel abandoned by their government which is trying to find international support but it is very slow in coming.
Ecowas wants to form a government of national unity in Mali as the interim government is clearly powerless and a significant portion of the population are unhappy with them. Those at the rally calledfor an end to travel and concensus and called for action. Guinean President Alpha Conde said "a national unity government will have the legitimacy to demand the intervention of troops in North Africa. We can not solve the problem if the North does not resolve first the problem of Bamako. "
But even with a UN Security Council resolution in place backing the intervention or the 3,300 Ecowas force with international logistical and intellegence backing it is not a very large force to deal with such a vast area as northern Mali. It may just about be enough to secure Bamako and the south. The demoralised Malian army proved itself no match for the MNLA and Ansar Dine as their have neither the weapons nor the means to match the Tuareg's mastery of mobile desert warefare .
The outbreak of hostilities between the MNLA and Mujao and Ansar Dine means they are no longer united and this may give negotiators and attackers an opportunity.
The West is straining to avoid any on the ground commitment of troops but African countries like Niger have asked the United States to intervene. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault expressed his determination to prevent AQMI setting up terrorist bases in Northern Mali which threaten the region and the West
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declared that he was confident that the UN Security Council would back a new resolution so that " our African friends" can deal with the situation "with international help , of course."
Many including President Jacob Zuma of South Africa blamed the US and Nato for allowing the disappearance of weapons from Libya to get out of hand and thus accused the west of being responsible for the tragedy that befell Mali. The West counters that Africa has to be responsible for its own future but it clearly needs help.
