AU says working closely with ECOWAS to resolve Mali crisis

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-1-15 15:55:59

The African Union (AU) is working closely with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to find a solution to the Mali crisis, according to a senior official of the pan-African bloc.

"The international community has been mobilized to restore the country's territorial integrity and block the advancement of the Islamists,"Ambroise Nionsaba, the special representative of the African Union (AU) in Cote d'Ivoire, said on Monday.

"The international community has been mobilized to restore the country's territorial integrity and block the advancement of the Islamists," Nionsaba added.

He hailed the action of France in Mali while urging African countries to support the "brotherly nation" in the anti-terrorist fight.

Tensions have been escalating in Mali since the beginning of the year, especially after clashes between the government forces and advancing rebels. The flare in central Mali prompted the French military intervention on Friday.

The fight has quickly expanded into an eye-catching war attracting world attention, with more and more African countries pledging troops to help Mali against the Al-Qaida-linked rebels, who occupied northern Mali nine months ago.

Posted in: Africa

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