French military campaign in Mali makes progress

French and Malian troops have recaptured the city of Timbuktu; an airport and a strategic bridge in the town of Gao.

The Malian army and French troops have just scored some victories after two weeks of stormy advances by air and ground forces to drive out radical Islamist rebels in northern Mali.

Although several Western countries have provided logistical support to the UN-backed African Intervention Force (AFISMA), the African force is in dire need of support such as ammunition, airlift, telecommunications equipment, field hospitals, food and water. French and Malian troops have recaptured the desert town of Timbuktu.

Malian soldiers control a road outside the town of Gao (Photo: AP)

Earlier, France announced that it had captured an airport and a strategic bridge in Gao, the largest town in the north under the control of extremist rebels. Residents here danced to the sound of drums and music to celebrate their escape from the harsh rule of the rebels. Under the management of the extremist rebels, residents in Gao were banned from listening to music, smoking, and watching sports on TV. Thieves had their hands chopped off, women had to wear headscarves. Ancient temples and mausoleums in the heritage city of Timbuktu were destroyed by the rebels. About 500 people living temporarily in the refugee camp in the town of Sevare, mainly people evacuated from Gao and Timbuktu, were very happy to hear that Gao had been "liberated". A resident of the refugee camp said: "Thanks to the intervention of France, we can now pack up and return home. We are very happy and joyful."

French and Malian troops are also trying to restore government control over the city of Timbuktu, a World Heritage site.

Also on January 27, a convoy of 75 military vehicles from Nigeria and Chad moved closer to the Mali border to join the UN-backed African Intervention Force (AFISMA). Currently, the African force is facing many logistical difficulties and is in dire need of support such as ammunition, airlift, telecommunications equipment, field hospitals, food and water.

The US Department of Defense announced that it would not directly support the Malian army but would instead provide refueling for French aircraft conducting airstrikes in northern Mali. In recent days, the US has used planes to transport French troops and equipment to Mali. The US government said that the current weak government in Mali is the result of a coup in March last year. The US will not directly support the Malian army until the country elects a new government.

During a meeting with Mali's interim president Dioncounda Traore on January 27, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also emphasized that, along with the campaign to drive out terrorists to protect territorial integrity, Mali needs to elect a new government in accordance with the Constitution.

African Union leaders estimate that the cost of deploying African troops to Mali will be around 430 million euros (nearly 580 million USD) and that an additional 300 million USD will be needed to restructure the Malian army. The amount of money needed will be discussed at a donors’ conference in Ethiopia at the end of January./.

According to VOV - DT