Touareg militants near Timbuktu, Mali. Photograph by Magharebia
The UK is to send about 330 military personnel to Mali and West Africa to support French forces against Islamist militants according to the government. This deployment will include 200 British soldiers, 40 military advisers who will train soldiers in Mali, 70 on a RAF Sentinel surveillance aircraft and 20 on a C17 transport plane.
The French forces are currently consolidating their position in the famous Malian city of Timbuktu, a location they recently seized from the Islamist militants and faced little resistance. The main rebel stronghold is now the region of Kidal in north eastern Mali.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has, however, stressed that the UK does not intend to have combat boots on the ground in the region and wants to avoid mission creep, saying:
“It is not our intention to deploy combat troops. We are very clear about the risks of mission creep…We have defined very carefully the support that we are willing to provide to the French and the Malian authorities.”
International donors have pledged £289million to tackle Islamist rebels in northern and western Africa.
Meanwhile, French-led troops are consolidating their position in the historic Malian city of Timbuktu after seizing it from Islamist extremists. They are then expected to focus on the last rebel stronghold, Kidal.