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ECOWAS agrees on 3,300-strong force for Mali
The summit’s final communique stressed that dialogue remained “the preferred option in the resolution of the political crisis in Mali.
“However, regarding the security situation, recourse to force may be indispensable in order to dismantle terrorist and transnational criminal networks that pose a threat to international peace and security,” it said.
An ECOWAS source had said earlier that regional military chiefs were proposing a total of 5,500 troops, with some 3,200 from the West African bloc and the rest from elsewhere.
It was not clear whether heads of state had rejected the proposal of if the bloc would continue efforts to reach that level.
The final communique urged “member states to concretize their commitments to provide military and logistical contributions to the ECOWAS military efforts.”
Sunday’s summit came as fears grow over the risks the extremists pose to the region and beyond.
A number of African leaders have spoken of the dangers of continued insecurity in the area given the safe haven a continued occupation of Mali’s north could provide to al-Qaeda-linked groups and criminal gangs.
