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| Tuesday, December
25, 2012, 12:58 PM |
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| France
ready for military intervention in Mali first half of next year. |
French
Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday, December 24, 2012, expected
a possible military intervention to quash Islamist terrorists in northern
Mali during the first six months of 2013. "The military intervention
would be over the first half next year ... For the moment, there is no
political solution," the minister told the daily La Croix.
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French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian speaks during a press conference
in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, July 18, 2012.
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Le
Drian reiterated Paris' refusal to send French combat forces to the conflict-torn
African country but it will provide technical support to African troops
to retake northern Malian region from Islamist insurgents.
"The concept of operation is in the process to become more refined,"
the minister said, adding that an European contingent of 400 troops will
be formed at the beginning of next year before being sent to Mali to help
training local army and preparing it to restore country's sovereignty.
On Thursday, December 20, 2012, the UN Security Council approved French-backed
resolution authorizing the deployment of an African peacekeeping force
known as AFISMA, for an initial one-year-mission.
Mali, a former French colony, has been struggling to stay as one united
nation since a military coup in March when hardline Islamists and Tuareg
rebel forces seeking an independent homeland took advantage of the chaos
and seized control of the north.
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