French troops sent to repel Islamist militants in Mali

FRANCE has sent armed forces into Mali, answering an urgent plea from the government of its former colony to help blunt a sudden and aggressive advance into the centre of the country by Islamist extremist militants who have been in control of the north for much of the past year.

French officials confirmed that the forces, including paratroopers and helicopter gunships, had engaged in combat with the Islamists after landing at a major airfield in the central Mali town of Sevare on Friday. It was unclear how many French troops had been sent, but a Western diplomat in neighbouring Niger said the Islamist forces numbered between 800 and 900 fighters, with about 200 vehicles.

''French forces brought their support this afternoon to Malian army units to fight against terrorist elements,'' French President Francois Hollande said in a statement.

''This operation will last as long as is necessary.''

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Mr Hollande was responding to an urgent request received the day before from Mali's interim President, Dioncounda Traore, who said Malian government forces were in dire need of help to stop the Islamists, who have turned the northern half of the country into a militant haven since seizing the territory, about twice of the size of Germany, in April.

The United Nations Security Council, which has repeatedly condemned the Islamist takeover of northern Mali and last month authorised an African-led force to enter the country to help drive the Islamists out, said on Thursday that it was closely monitoring events there and may take additional steps.

Mr Hollande is also to meet the Malian President next week.

The swift French response came after two days of clashes between the Malian army and militants around Konna, a sleepy mud-brick village that for months had marked the outer limit of the Malian army's control after it lost half of the country to the Islamists and their allies eight months ago.

General Carter Ham, the commander of the Pentagon's Africa Command, who was travelling in Niger, said he understood that French paratroopers and helicopter gunships had landed in Sevare and had engaged the Islamists in combat. He also said the US, which shares France's deep concern about the Islamist seizure of northern Mali, was considering what it could do to help, perhaps by repositioning satellites or sending in surveillance drones. NEW YORK TIMES

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