Reuters, 09/03 17:52 CET
By Emma Farge
DAKAR (Reuters) – The African
Union will send a mission to northern Mali in the next few weeks to look
into setting up a counter-terrorism force to support vulnerable U.N.
peacekeepers, sources familiar with the matter said.
The Bamako government, as well as some officials of the U.N. force in Mali, MINUSMA,
have called for more help in fighting al Qaeda-linked insurgents, who
have become increasingly active despite the efforts of French, Malian
and U.N. troops.
French forces drove the jihadists out of northern Malian
cities in 2013 but they have regrouped, and in November al Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb attacked a luxury hotel in Bamako, killing 20 people in a
demonstration of their ability to strike beyond their desert bases.
Critics say the 10,000-strong U.N. force’s ability to
bring peace to Mali is hamstrung by its lack of an aggressive
counter-terrorism mandate, meaning it cannot hunt down militants and is
vulnerable to attack.
At least 20 Malian and U.N. troops from Africa have been killed this year, according to Reuters estimates.
While an expansion of the U.N. mandate was discussed
during a Security Council visit to Mali last week, some permanent
members such as France say it is already sufficiently robust, although
they back additional resources for the force.
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Source: Euronews
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