Morning Brief: France launches strikes in north Mali to halt Islamists' advance

From Foreign Policy Mon Jan 14 2013, 14:14:48

France launches strikes in north Mali to halt Islamists' advance

Top news: French fighter jets struck targets in the north of Mali on Sunday as France launched a military intervention to halt the advance of Islamist rebels. France has deployed 400 troops to the country, and seven other countries have vowed to aid the effort aimed at combating a well-armed that rebel movement that amid political turmoil has consolidated control of a swath of territory larger than Afghanistan.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that the strikes had succeeded in stemming the rebels' advance and promised that France would not get dragged into prolonged military interventions in its former colony.

The rebel movement in Mali's north, which defense officials have said has ties to al-Qaeda, has emerged as a serious challenge to the Malian government, arming itself with weapons from Libya following the fall of Muammar al-Qaddafi. French defense officials said over the weekend that the rebels were better armed than expected and that a French helicopter pilot had been killed in the fighting. In a statement, the French defense ministry said that its fighter planes had destroyed "numerous targets in northern Mali near Gao, in particular training camps, infrastructure and logistical depots which served as bases for terrorist groups." U.S. officials said that they are likely to support the French mission by providing surveillance drones and other limited assistance.

[view whole blog post ]
 See More    |     Report Abuse

People and Organizations:


You might also be interested in the following news stories:

Nigeria:  Only a Miracle Will Take Nigeria to 2026 World Cup, Musa Declares (news)
Leadership
11 July 2025

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has admitted that it will take a miracle for Nigeria's senior national football team, Super Eagles, to be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the team right now are in ... [read more]

Sénégal:  JOJ Dakar 2026 - Le COJOJ est 'à jour', selon Ibrahima Wade (news)
Agence de Presse Sénégalaise
9 July 2025

Le Comité d'organisation des Jeux olympiques de la jeunesse (COJOJ) Dakar 2026 est " à jour" dans les préparatifs de l'évènement sportif, a assuré son ... [read more]

Madagascar:  Pétanque/Mondial La Marseillaise - La bande à Yves en demi-finale, le trio de Zigle échoue (news)
L'Express de Madagascar
9 July 2025

La deuxième équipe malgache composée de Yves Sédrick, Lova et Tonnerre se qualifie en demi-finales du Mondial La Marseillaise de pétanque. La bande à zigle ... [read more]



blogAfrica is allAfrica.com's platform to help you keep an ear on the African blogosphere. We draw diverse voices from around the world who post regularly and insightfully about African issues. Bloggers, submit your blog's rss-feed!