ragzin883: Nigerian Troops Expected in Mali, France Continues Buildup

French forces have begun ground operations in Mali, moving into the town of Niono just south of an area seized earlier this week by Islamist militants who control the northern part of the country.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the fighting in Mali will be "long" and that his forces are moving from the capital toward rebel-held territory.

"Today the ground forces are in the process of deploying.? Until now, we had some forces in Bamako to secure the population, the European nationals and the city.? Now the French forces are reaching the north," he said.

VOA correspondent Anne Look said a convoy of tanks rolled out of Bamako on Tuesday heading north.

Recent French Interventions in Africa

Mali 2013:
French forces launch air strikes on Islamists rebels.
Somalia 2013:
French commandos are killed during failed hostage rescue mission.
Ivory Coast 2011:
French forces move in after Laurent Gbagbo refuses to step down following contested elections.
Libya 2011:
French planes are first to bomb Moammar Gadhafi's forces after U.N. votes to allow intervention to protect civilians.

??France first sent troops into Mali on Friday at the request of the country's interim government, and has been continuing to bring in equipment for a force that eventually will include 2,500 soldiers.? The government says the troops will stay until the situation in Mali is stable.

Nigeria is expected to deploy 190 soldiers to Mali on Wednesday, only part of the country's commitment to a 3,300-troop West African force authorized by the United Nations to help combat the Islamist militants.

Al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremists seized control of northern Mali after renegade soldiers toppled the government in March, leaving a temporary power vacuum.? The militants have imposed harsh conservative Islamic law across the north.

Foreign Troop Commitments to Mali
France:
Currently has about 800 soldiers in Mali and intends to boost its troop presence to 2,500 in coming weeks. President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that his forces will begin to pull out of the former French colony once the West African regional bloc ECOWAS has deployed its troops and is ready to take charge.

ECOWAS: is finalizing plans to send as many as 3,300 troops into Mali, under a United Nations-backed intervention plan.? The announced troop commitments from African countries are:

Nigeria: 900 troops
Burkina Faso: 500
Niger: 500
Senegal: 500
Togo: 500
Benin: 300
Guinea: 144
Ghana: 120
Chad: unspecified

??Western and United Nations officials are concerned that the Islamists could turn Mali into a base for terrorists and criminals.

??Mali is a former French colony and France still has a variety of economic and political interests there.

President Francois Hollande says France's goals are: stopping terrorist aggression, securing Bamako, and allowing Mali to recover its territorial integrity.? He also says France will support the African force that soon will be in Mali.

??The West African bloc ECOWAS is speeding up its planned deployment to Mali. It had not been expected to happen until September.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday the United States supports French efforts in Mali but is not sending troops.

And the United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday that the latest clashes have driven more than 1,000 Malians into neighboring countries.? It says the number of Malian refugees in the region tops 144,000, and that more than 200,000 Malians are internally displaced.

French Elite Special Operations soldiers drive through Markala, about 275 kilometers from Bamako, Mali, January 15, 2013.
A French elite Special Operations soldier drive through Markala, about 275 kilometers from Bamako, Mali, January 15, 2013.
A motorcyclist waves his support as French troops in two armored personnel carriers drive through Mali's capital Bamako on the road to Mopti, January 15, 2013.
French soldiers walk past a hangar they are staying at the Malian army air base in Bamako, January 14, 2013.
French soldiers talk under a French flag in a hangar at the Malian army air base in Bamako, January 14, 2013.
French soldiers test equipment at the Malian air base in Bamako, January 14, 2013.
French air force technicians work on a Mirage F-1 fighter jet at the Malian army air base in Bamako, January 14, 2013.
A French soldiers lies on his mattress in a hangar at the Malian army air base in Bamako, January 14, 2013.
French soldiers listen to instructions in a hangar at the Malian army air base in Bamako, January 14, 2013.