Brussels, 19/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Gravely concerned by the political, humanitarian and security situation in Mali, and by the immediate threat that this poses for the Sahel region, West Africa and Europe, the European Council trusts that the EU will speed up the planning for a possible European military operation under common security and defence policy (CSDP) in order to train Malian forces. It also trusts that the EU will examine all arrangements for supporting an African force for taking back the north of Mali from the armed militia and Islamist Jihadists with close ties to Al-Qaeda, who are terrorising the population. Such was the signal sent out by the EU27 heads of state and government on Friday 19 October, while a high level support and follow-up group on Mali (jointly chaired by the African Union and the UN) was being held in Bamako, in order to perfect the strategy now that the principle of deploying an international force has been accepted by the Untied Nations Security Council (see EUROPE 10714 and 10710). Resolution 2701 of the Security Council adopted last week had given ECOWAS countries 45 days in which to state their plans which, as things stand, concern the deployment of 3,300 men - numbers that could be completed by the African Union.
“The EU is contributing to the international efforts led by the UN, to stabilise the situation. We decided to accelerate our own planning for a possible European military crisis management operation”, commented Herman Van Rompuy. France's President François Hollande told the press: “The position of the European Union is the one I presented to the United Nations and which is to be found in the Security Council resolution. It is up to the Africans to have a second resolution adopted allowing intervention in North Mali”. In its conclusions which endorse those of the Foreign Affairs Council of 15 October, the European Council assures Mali of the EU's overall support, in particularly in its efforts to restore rule of law and a democratic and sovereign government throughout the territory. (AN/transl.jl)