British Government To Deploy Troops, Support French Military: Mali

Local Editor

Reports revealed that the British government is considering to deploy around 200 troops to Mali, in a step to reinforce the French war in the West African Country. According to the Guardian newspaper, Britain will send "sizeable amount" of troops to Mali and neighboring West African countries as British Prime Minister David Cameron offers strong support to France in its operation.
Cameron called French President Francois Hollande on Sunday, and told him that Britain was "keen" to provide further military assistance to the French forces in Mali.

A small number of the troopers would be sent to Mali itself to help the ruling junta in the battle against local fighters, while a large number of them would provide training for the West African forces in the region, British media said on Tuesday.
Britain initially put two RAF C17 transporter aircraft at the disposal of France for the transport of troops and material to Mali. One of these is still dedicated to the Mali mission.

Britain has also sent one RAF Sentinel surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Senegal to help with the mission. The Guardian reported last week that a small number of British special forces soldiers were on the ground in Mali advising some 3,000 French forces have so far been deployed.
Meanwhile, reports said that French-led forces took control of the access points to the Malian desert town of Timbuktu on Monday as they continued advancing further across the north of the country.

On Sunday, French troops and Malian forces seized the town of Gao on Saturday after French warplanes and helicopters bombed areas in and around the town.
At least 12 civilians have also been killed and more than a dozen others injured in a French air raid on the town of Konna.

Thousands of people in Mali have been forced to flee their homes amid the French war.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that more than 5,000 Malian refugees have arrived in Mauritania alone since January 11, when France launched the war under the pretext of halting the advance of the fighters in the African country.

The United States, Canada, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark have voiced support for the French war. Analysts believe that behind the military campaign are Mali's untapped resources, including oil, gold, as well as the uranium in the region.

Source: Websites, edited by moawama.org