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Military intervention in Mali on the table, if negotiations fail – ECOWAS
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said that regional troops would definitely intervene in Islamist-occupied northern Mali if negotiations with the extremists failed to yield a solution.
“Diplomacy or negotiation is the first, military intervention is extreme. When negotiation fails that is the time you can talk about military intervention,” said Jonathan, who is on a 24-hour visit to Senegal.
He said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would also need a United Nations mandate before stepping in.
“ECOWAS will definitely intervene militarily, but … first and foremost we are negotiating,” said the Nigerian leader after talks with President Macky Sall.
“We must stabilize the government … I believe through negotiation we will be able to resolve the crisis, we don’t necessarily need military intervention … but if that fails we will have no option.”
Mali this week formed a new unity government at the urging of ECOWAS in the hopes it would be better able to deal with the country’s crises, and make an official request for military back-up from the regional troops.
The country is being run by interim authorities who took over from a military junta which ousted democratically elected president Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22, plunging the once stable nation into turmoil.
