France Pledges Support For Mali Intervention

PARIS, Oct. 12 (UPI) — The French military is willing to help African forces train for an intervention in Mali but won't be involved directly, French President Francois Hollande said.

The Economic Community of West African States is ready with a stand-by force for Mali, divided when Islamic rebels claimed autonomy for northern regions in the country. A visiting U.N. official this week said militants who took control of northern Mali after an early 2012 coup were suspected of committing atrocities and the situation has since taken a grave turn.

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