Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye on Wednesday told parliamentarians that the president had decided to send 500 soldiers to Mali to contribute to the fight against terrorism.

"It should be noted that in Mali, Senegal is not going to war against a state, but to contribute to efforts to stop the advancement of tyrannical groups whose practices belong to a different era and are opposed to our political and socio-cultural values," the foreign minister said.

The minister was delivering a message of President Macky Sall to members of parliament.

"What we have done is geared towards achieving international peace and security. When a neighboring country is on fire, we cannot sit and watch while countries from outside the sub-region are already on the ground," Ndiaye added.

Senegal's top diplomat explained the decision citing a number of countries where Senegal had contributed to peace missions, such as Syria, Lebanon, ex-Yugoslavia, Haiti, Uganda, Guinea-Bissau, Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan, Mozambique and East Timor.