West African nations on Sunday agreed to send some 3,000 troops to help the country of Mali wrest back control of its northern half, which was seized by a coalition of Tuareg rebels and al Qaeda-linked fighters more than six months ago. In late April, after the Mali military was kicked out of the territory now known as Azawad, the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamists took over the vast territory – which is larger than France – and imposed a strict Sharia law in it, causing about 400,000 of the inhabitants to flee to neighboring countries. The decision on military action came late Sunday at the end of an emergency summit in Nigeria’s capital of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They were joined by military experts from the UN, Europe, as well as ministers from Algeria, Mali’s neighbor to the north which has previously been against the military intervention. The plan needs final approval from the UN Security Council before it can be carried out.
Source: Homeland Security News Wire
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