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International donors offer millions for Mali military aid
[MAGHAREBIA] Thirty-four countries and the European Union this week pledged funds to help Mali end months of occupation by al-Qaeda and Islamist group Ansar al-Din.The conference at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (January 29th) aimed at providing financial support for the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA). The financial assistance package would also preserve the gains already achieved on the ground by Malian, African and French troops. AU chairman and Ethiopian leader Hailemariam Desalegn offered his "sincere gratitude" at the pledges, which totalled 336 million euros. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the AU, however, had said they would need at least 737 million euros to fund both humanitarian aid and the needs of African forces. "The current situation in Mali requires a quick and effective international response because it threatens Mali, the region, Africa and the world," African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma told attendees at the Ethiopian event. Posted by: Fred 2013-02-02 |
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