10/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a declaration published on Tuesday 9 October, the EU “condemns the abductions and the use (…) of landmines” in northern Mali and Niger. The EU is “concerned at the deterioration in the security situation” in these regions and affirms its “support for the governments of Mali and Niger in their actions to preserve the peace and territorial integrity of their respective countries”. The Union also lend its support to initiatives to reinforce national and regional cooperation to ensure security, peace and development in the Sahel-Saharan region, by means of “joint, shared solutions to issues that transcend national borders”. (ab)