Summit meeting focuses on ways that African forces can better help Mali
(20 Jan 2013)
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1. Wide of flags of countries participating in the summit ++MUTE++
2. Wide of meeting ++MUTE++
3. Mid of delegates arriving, including Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara (left on screen, with grey tie) ++MUTE++
4. Various of delegates arriving ++MUTE++
5. Various of summit ++MUTE++
6. Mid of Moroccan and Egyptian delegates ++MUTE++
7. Mid of Benin delegates ++MUTE++
8. Mid of British and Belgian delegates ++MUTE++
9. Various of summit ++MUTE++
10. Mid of Mali and Guinea Bissau delegates ++MUTE++
11. Mid of Togo delegates ++MUTE++
12. Various of delegates ++MUTE++
13. Mid of British, Belgian and Spanish delegates ++MUTE++
14. Mid of Ouattara presiding over the summit
15. SOUNDBITE (French) Laurent Fabius, France's Foreign Minister:
"We had to stop this terrorist aggression which was threatening the very existence of Mali as a state, before probably threatening that of its neighbours. Because, as it has been highlighted by the remarkable thoughts of President Ouattara, terrorism has no frontiers. We therefore had to avoid, for Mali and its sub-region, a future characterised by violence, intolerance and terror.
16. Various of delegates posing for photo opportunity ++MUTE++
STORYLINE:
France's Foreign Minister on Saturday said that the military operation under way in Mali was necessary in order to "avoid, for Mali and its sub-region, a future characterised by violence, intolerance and terror."
Laurent Fabius spoke at a closely-watched summit in Ivory Coast focusing on ways that African forces can better help Mali as France's military intervention there entered its second week.
Fabius stressed that African countries should take the lead in the military intervention to oust extremists from power in northern Mali, though he acknowledged it could be weeks before neighbours are able to do so.
Neighbouring countries are expected to contribute around 3,000 troops to the operation, which is aimed at preventing the militants who rule northern Mali from advancing further south toward the capital, Bamako.
While some initial contributions from Togo and Nigeria have arrived to help the French, concerns about the mission have delayed other neighbours from sending their promised troops so far.
Funding for the mission is also an issue.
Fabius said that a donor summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 29 would be a key event in securing financing for the operation.
At Saturday's meeting in the largest Ivorian city Abidjan, leaders were sorting out a central command for the African force, a French official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to publicly discuss the sensitive security matters.
Nigerian General Shehu Usman Abdulkadir is expected to be named the force commander.
Speaking on Saturday on French television channel France 3, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France now has 2,000 troops in Mali and has mobilised 2,900 in the overall operation in places like Senegal, Burkina Faso and Niger.
He said France could deploy the 2,500 troops initially announced for Mali, and said that at full deployment, Operation Serval would involve some 4,000 troops in the region.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, radical Islamists fled a key Malian town on foot following French air strikes that began after they seized the city of Diabaly, central Mali, nearly one week ago, the Malian military and fleeing residents said late on Saturday.
Malian military spokesman Captain Modibo Traore said on Saturday evening that soldiers had secured the town.
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