Britain will provide transport
planes to assist the French
military operation in Mali,
Downing Street has confirmed. David Cameron spoke with
Francois Hollande on Saturday
evening as France attempted
to contain al Qaeda-linked
rebels in the north of the West
African country. French military strikes on the
country have already claimed
the lives of at least 100 rebels
in a fight over the strategic
town of Konna. Eleven Malian soldiers are
reported to have been killed
and a further 60 wounded in
the recent fighting. Mr Hollande has raised his
country's terror threat level
amid fears of retaliatory
attacks in France. He said France "has to take all
necessary precautions" in the
face of a terrorist threat,
including "surveillance of our
public buildings and our
transport network". French troops prepare to board
a flight to Mali from a base in
Chad A Downing Street spokesman
said last night: "The Prime
Minister spoke to President
Hollande this evening to
discuss the deteriorating
situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military
assistance provided to the
Malian government to contain
rebel and extremist groups in
the north of the country. "The Prime Minister has agreed
that the UK will provide
logistical military assistance to
help transport foreign troops
and equipment quickly to Mali. "We will not be deploying any
British personnel in a combat
role. "Both leaders agreed that the
situation in Mali poses a real
threat to international security
given terrorist activity there. "They discussed the need to
work with the Malian
government, regional
neighbours and international
partners to prevent a new
terrorist haven developing on Europe's doorstep and to
reinvigorate the UN led
political process once the rebel
advance has been halted. "The National Security Council,
which was already due to meet
on Tuesday, will now consider
the situation in Mali and
discuss what needs to be done
to secure a lasting political settlement in Mali." The UN's Sahel envoy Romano
Prodi, left, and President
Dioncounda Traore One French pilot has died in
the military action after
hundreds of French soldiers
were deployed in the country. Mr Hollande took action in Mali
at the request of interim
President Dioncounda Traore,
who has declared a state of
emergency. Western governments
expressed alarm on Thursday
after an al Qaeda-linked rebel
alliance captured Konna, a
gateway towards the capital
Bamako 600km (375 miles) south. The Malian army has said it was
attacking the "last pockets of
resistance" by insurgents in
Konna after they recaptured it
with the help of the French. Islamist rebels seized a swathe
of northern Mali last spring Mr Hollande said the "terrorist
groups, drug traffickers and
extremists" in northern Mali
"show a brutality that
threatens us all." He vowed
that the operation would last "as long as necessary". The West African regional bloc
ECOWAS has now authorised
the immediate deployment of
troops to Mali. The bloc's commission
president, Kadre Desire
Ouedraogo, said it made the
decision "in light of the
urgency of the situation". For the past nine months, the
Islamic militants have
controlled a large swathe of
northern Mali, a lawless desert
region where kidnapping has
flourished. Mr Hollande said the operation
was aimed in part at
protecting 6,000 French
citizens in Mali, including seven
who are being held captive. French Mirage 2000 D aircraft
en route to the Mali operation UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-
moon said Senegal and Nigeria
also responded to an appeal
from Mali's president for help
to counter the militants. Late last year, the 15 nations in
West Africa, including Mali,
agreed on a proposal for the
military to take back the north,
and sought backing from the
UN. The Security Council authorised
the intervention but imposed
certain conditions, including
the training of Mali's military,
which has been accused of
serious human rights abuses since a military coup last year
sent the nation into disarray. Al Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has
been a shadowy presence for
years in the forests and deserts
of poverty-stricken Mali. Most Malians adhere to a
moderate form of Islam, but in
recent months the terrorist
group and its allies have taken
advantage of political
instability, taking territory they use to stock weapons and train
forces. The Islamists have insisted
they want to impose Sharia
only in northern Mali, though
there long have been fears
they could push further south.
Mali: Britain Sends Planes To Help French
Britain will provide transport
planes to assist the French
military operation in Mali,
Downing Street has confirmed. David Cameron spoke with
Francois Hollande on Saturday
evening as France attempted
to contain al Qaeda-linked
rebels in the north of the West
African country. French military strikes on the
country have already claimed
the lives of at least 100 rebels
in a fight over the strategic
town of Konna. Eleven Malian soldiers are
reported to have been killed
and a further 60 wounded in
the recent fighting. Mr Hollande has raised his
country's terror threat level
amid fears of retaliatory
attacks in France. He said France "has to take all
necessary precautions" in the
face of a terrorist threat,
including "surveillance of our
public buildings and our
transport network". French troops prepare to board
a flight to Mali from a base in
Chad A Downing Street spokesman
said last night: "The Prime
Minister spoke to President
Hollande this evening to
discuss the deteriorating
situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military
assistance provided to the
Malian government to contain
rebel and extremist groups in
the north of the country. "The Prime Minister has agreed
that the UK will provide
logistical military assistance to
help transport foreign troops
and equipment quickly to Mali. "We will not be deploying any
British personnel in a combat
role. "Both leaders agreed that the
situation in Mali poses a real
threat to international security
given terrorist activity there. "They discussed the need to
work with the Malian
government, regional
neighbours and international
partners to prevent a new
terrorist haven developing on Europe's doorstep and to
reinvigorate the UN led
political process once the rebel
advance has been halted. "The National Security Council,
which was already due to meet
on Tuesday, will now consider
the situation in Mali and
discuss what needs to be done
to secure a lasting political settlement in Mali." The UN's Sahel envoy Romano
Prodi, left, and President
Dioncounda Traore One French pilot has died in
the military action after
hundreds of French soldiers
were deployed in the country. Mr Hollande took action in Mali
at the request of interim
President Dioncounda Traore,
who has declared a state of
emergency. Western governments
expressed alarm on Thursday
after an al Qaeda-linked rebel
alliance captured Konna, a
gateway towards the capital
Bamako 600km (375 miles) south. The Malian army has said it was
attacking the "last pockets of
resistance" by insurgents in
Konna after they recaptured it
with the help of the French. Islamist rebels seized a swathe
of northern Mali last spring Mr Hollande said the "terrorist
groups, drug traffickers and
extremists" in northern Mali
"show a brutality that
threatens us all." He vowed
that the operation would last "as long as necessary". The West African regional bloc
ECOWAS has now authorised
the immediate deployment of
troops to Mali. The bloc's commission
president, Kadre Desire
Ouedraogo, said it made the
decision "in light of the
urgency of the situation". For the past nine months, the
Islamic militants have
controlled a large swathe of
northern Mali, a lawless desert
region where kidnapping has
flourished. Mr Hollande said the operation
was aimed in part at
protecting 6,000 French
citizens in Mali, including seven
who are being held captive. French Mirage 2000 D aircraft
en route to the Mali operation UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-
moon said Senegal and Nigeria
also responded to an appeal
from Mali's president for help
to counter the militants. Late last year, the 15 nations in
West Africa, including Mali,
agreed on a proposal for the
military to take back the north,
and sought backing from the
UN. The Security Council authorised
the intervention but imposed
certain conditions, including
the training of Mali's military,
which has been accused of
serious human rights abuses since a military coup last year
sent the nation into disarray. Al Qaeda's affiliate in Africa has
been a shadowy presence for
years in the forests and deserts
of poverty-stricken Mali. Most Malians adhere to a
moderate form of Islam, but in
recent months the terrorist
group and its allies have taken
advantage of political
instability, taking territory they use to stock weapons and train
forces. The Islamists have insisted
they want to impose Sharia
only in northern Mali, though
there long have been fears
they could push further south.
http://news.sky.com/story/1037037/mali-britain-sends-planes-to-help-french