Brussels, 18/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Just before the high-level meeting in Bamako, where the African Union, in consultation with the UN and ECOWAS, are expected to outline their strategy for taking back the northern part of Mali from armed groups and Islamic radicals allied to Al Qaeda, the heads of state and government of the EU will hold an exchange of views on the situation in Mali on Friday 19 October. They are expected to call for a speeding up in the planning and possible deployment of an EU military mission. This is expected to take the form of support for training and restructuring the armed forces in Mali. If this goes ahead, the European Council will be expected to give its approval to the conclusions adopted by the European Affairs Council of 15 October (see EUROPE 10710).
The European Council will express its concerns about the political, security and humanitarian situation prevailing in Mali. This represents an immediate threat to the whole of the Sahel region, western and northern Africa and Europe. French hostages in Mali and the president of France, François Hollande, have been personally threatened, following the vote on Resolution 2701 of the United Nations Security Council last week, which gave the go-ahead to the deployment of an international military force. The European Council is expected to express the resolve of the EU to provide total support to Mali, in close co-operation with international and regional partners, particularly with regard to supporting its efforts to re-establish the rule of law and a democratic and sovereign government over the country's whole territory. The EU27 are also expected to confirm the EU's willingness to gradually resume co-operation with Mali, as soon as a roadmap has been established for the return of constitutional order, without in the meantime stopping the providing of humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable sections of the population in Mali, as well as the refugees in neighbouring countries. (AN/transl.fl)