|
|
|
[ 7/19/2012 12:27:25 PM ]
XINHUANET
|
|
Mali - Politics
|
ECOWAS awaiting green-light from Mali for deployment of standby force
|
|
|
| The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said in a statement issued on Wednesday that it was awaiting the green-light from the Malian authorities for the deployment of the community's standby force in Mali.
|
|
"ECOWAS is only awaiting authorization from the Malian government to deploy a standby force in this country," a statement from the technical evaluation mission of the UN, AU and ECOWAS said in Bamako.
The technical evaluation mission which is comprised of experts from ECOWAS, the United Nations and the African Union, began its work in Bamako on July 7.
While addressing the technical evaluation mission, the Malian prime minister Cheick Modibo Diarra said that "in the past, the Malian army had contributed towards management of crisis in certain African countries, and that there was nothing wrong for other countries to come and help his country."
The ECOWAS Mission to Mali (MICEMA), comprised of about 3,000 men, will have an initial mandate of about six months.
While opening the workshop for the technical evaluation mission, the head of the ECOWAS standby force general Hassan Mahaman pointed out that the objective of his team "is to come up with conclusions which will help the ECOWAS commission to have a clear understanding of the best option that will help Mali to come out of the current crisis."
"Our first duty will be to guarantee the safety and the stability of the transition institutions," Mahaman said.
In addition, he said, his team will also help to equip the Malian armed forces so that they will have the capacity to undertake future operations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|