Malian government troops drove back Islamist rebels from a strategic central town following France intervened on Friday with air strikes to halt advances through the militants controlling the country's desert north.
Western governments, especially former colonial energy France, had voiced alarm following the al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured the town of Konna on Thursday, a gateway in the direction of the capital Bamako 600 km (375 miles) south.
President Francois Hollande stated France wouldn't stand by to view the rebels push southward. Paris has repeatedly warned the Islamists' seizure in the country's north in April gave them a base to assault neighboring African nations and Europe.
"We are faced with blatant aggression which is threatening Mali's incredibly existence. France are not able to accept this," Hollande, who just lately pledged Paris wouldn't to meddle in African affairs, mentioned inside a New Year speech to diplomats and journalists.
The president stated resolutions through the United Nations Safety Council, which in December sanctioned an African-led military intervention in Mali, meant France was acting in accordance with global law.
In Washington, a U.S. official informed Reuters the Pentagon is weighing alternatives in Mali, which include intelligence-sharing with France and logistics help.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed that France had carried out air strikes against the rebels to stop them conquering the entire of Mali. He refused to reveal even more facts, which include no matter whether French troops had been within the ground.
France's intervention instantly tipped the military stability of energy, with Malian government forces speedily sweeping back into Konna, as outlined by nearby residents.
"The Malian army has retaken Konna together with the aid of our military partners. We're there now," Lieutenant Colonel Diaran Kone informed Reuters, including the army was mopping up Islamist fighters while in the surrounding place.
EU SPEEDS UP DEPLOYMENT
A military operation had not been anticipated till September as a consequence of the troubles of coaching Malian troops, funding the African force and deploying through the mid-year rainy season. Having said that, Mali's government appealed for urgent military assist from France on Thursday just after Islamist fighters took Konna.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton identified as on Friday for "accelerated worldwide engagement" and explained the bloc would speed up ideas to deploy 200 troops to train Malian forces, at first anticipated in late February.
The capture of Konna from the rebels - who've imposed rigid Sharia Islamic law in northern Mali - had induced panic between residents while in the towns of Mopti and Sevare, 60 km (40 miles) towards the south. Calm returned, nonetheless, following residents reported Western soldiers and foreign military aircraft arriving late on Thursday at Sevare's airport - the primary one particular while in the area.
Military analysts mentioned the Western soldiers may perhaps are the 1st deployment of French unique forces.
They voiced doubt, nonetheless, no matter if Friday's action heralded the commence of your last operation to retake northern Mali - a harsh, sparsely populated terrain the dimension of France - as neither the tools nor ground troops had been prepared.
"We're not nevertheless on the huge intervention," explained Mark Schroeder, director for Sub-Saharan Africa examination for that worldwide threat and protection consultancy Stratfor. He mentioned France had been forced to act once the Islamists bore down on Sevare, a critical launching point for long term military operations.
"The French recognized this was a red line they couldn't permit to get crossed," he mentioned.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
In excess of two decades of peaceful elections had earned Mali a track record being a bulwark of democracy inside a a part of Africa superior regarded for turmoil - an picture that unraveled inside a matter of weeks just after a military coup final March that paved the way in which for that Islamist rebellion.
Mali is Africa's third biggest gold producer along with a key cotton grower, and house to your fabled northern desert city of Timbuktu - an ancient trading hub and UNESCO Globe Heritage internet site that hosted yearly music festivals prior to the rebellion.
Interim President Dioncounda Traore, beneath strain for bolder action from Mali's military, declared a state of emergency on Friday. Traore will fly to Paris for talks with Hollande on Wednesday.
"Every Malian will have to henceforth think about themself a soldier," Traore stated on state Television, calling on mining and telecoms businesses to contribute on the war work. He explained he requested French air assistance using the blessing of West African allies.
The chief of operations for Mali's Defence Ministry explained that Nigeria and Senegal had been amongst another nations supplying military help within the ground. Fabius explained these nations had not taken aspect while in the French operation.
A spokesman for that Nigerian air force explained planes had been deployed to Mali for the reconnaissance mission, not for fight.
The French foreign ministry stepped up its safety alert on Mali and components of neighboring Mauritania and Niger on Friday, extending its red alert - the highest degree - to incorporate Bamako. France has eight nationals in Islamist hands within the Sahara just after a string of kidnappings.
A spokesman for al Qaeda's north African arm AQIM urged France, inside a video posted on the net, to reconsider its intervention. "Stop your assault against us or you happen to be digging your individual sons' graves," explained Abdallah Al-Chinguetti.
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