| CNN | - |
Sevare,
Mali (CNN) -- The Malian military has gained control of the central
town of Diabaly, Mali, a key advance in the battle against Islamist
militants in the north.
Mali takes key town as nations ready more troops
updated 1:30 PM EST, Sun January 20, 2013
Troops move to retake key town in Mali
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: French officials say Islamists have been pushed to forest beyond Diabaly
- West Africa's regional bloc says it has 3,300 troops on standby
- France may send more troops
- An Islamic official was killed in revenge for the death of a journalist, a witness says
The country's forces
retook the town without ground assistance from French troops, a military
spokesman said. The French military confirmed that it provided only air
support.
French officials later
said Malian forces had managed to push the Islamists into the forest
beyond Diabaly. But battles in the region continued to rage.
Rebel control over
Diabaly was one of the chief concerns to Mali and France in trying to
stop the Islamists' movement into the south. French involvement began
after militants said January 10 that they had seized another town,
Konna.
French and Malian forces retook the key town of Konna from militants Friday, a French source said.
As fighting continues, many people are being cut off and in need of basic supplies.
France is considering sending more troops to assist the Malian military.
The number could top
2,500, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday. There
are about 2,000 French troops in Mali so far, he told CNN affiliate
France 3.
French President Francois Hollande said the offensive's mission is to destroy the terrorist groups that have taken root.
West African leaders are
also discussing possibilities for additional forces. Regional leaders
met Saturday in the Ivory Coast capital of Abidjan to discuss speeding
up deployment of troops.
Photos: French-led Mali offensive
Malians support troops with blood drive
The regional bloc -- the Economic Community Of West African States -- has said it has 3,300 regional troops on standby.
It urged the United Nations to provide immediate logistical and financial support for African troops.
"The escalation of
conflict in recent days reminds us the importance of assuming our
responsibilities very quickly in a dynamic of coordination with our
partners," said Charles Koffi Diby, the Ivory Coast foreign minister.
"We should act very quickly."
Mali was relatively
stable until a coup last year toppled the president. Islamists
capitalized on the chaos and established themselves in the north.
They imposed a strict
interpretation of Sharia law, banning music, smoking, drinking and
watching sports on television. They also damaged historic tombs and
shrines.
On Saturday,
demonstrators in the city of Gao killed the chief of Islamic police, who
was imposing Sharia law on behalf of the Islamists.
A day earlier, Islamist
militants killed local journalist Kader Toure for allegedly giving
information to the Malian army. The journalist was shot while on his
motorcycle, a witness told CNN.
Demonstrators in Gao avenged the reporter's death on Saturday by killing police chief Aliou Maiga, an eyewitness said.
'It was absolutely necessary'
Despite its unilateral
decision to get involved, France is seeking help from its regional
allies and the international community.
Christian Rouyer, French ambassador to Mali, reiterated the need for the French offensive in Mali.
"We had a friendly
country that was on the verge of dying," Rouyer said Friday. "It was
absolutely necessary to act with urgency. We did it, I believe, with
full knowledge of the reasons."
Involvement brings perils.
After neighboring
Algeria allowed France to use its airspace to take on insurgents,
militants angry about the move stormed a gas field in eastern Algeria
and took hostages, leading to three days of chaos that ended Saturday, leaving 23 hostages and dozens of Islamist militants dead.
Still, leaders from several countries have offered troops or logistical support.
The European Union has
approved a training mission. Canada and Britain are deploying military
transport aircraft. Nigeria is set to deploy soldiers as part of a
U.N.-mandated African force to fight the insurgents.
No military aid from U.S.
U.S. policy prohibits
direct military aid to Mali because the fledgling government is the
result of a coup. No support can go to the Malian military directly
until leaders are chosen through an election, said Victoria Nuland, a
State Department spokeswoman.
So far, the United
States has only shared intelligence from intercepted signals and
satellites with France, defense officials said.
U.S. trainers will be in
African nations to prepare forces set to be deployed in Mali. Trainers
will be in Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo and Ghana.
The United Nations is warning of a record number of Malians fleeing to neighboring nations.
The unrest could soon
displace up to 700,000 in the country and around the region, said
Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency.
CNN's Faith Karimi, Pierre Meilhan, Nana Karikari-apau, Per Nyberg and Joseph Netto contributed to this report.end quote from:
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