Possível intervenção militar no Mali

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - ECOWAS may send troops to Mali with or without the member state's consent in order to arrest the deteriorating situation in the northern part of the country, where separatist armed groups have continued to commit acts of rape, looting, robbery, killing and destruction of cultural sites. Though the deployment of the ECOWAS Stand-by force to Mali has long been approved by the region's leaders, the estimated 3,000 troops have yet to be deployed because the 15-member bloc has been waiting for a formal invitation from the Malian authorities. However, that may change soon, as an ECOWAS Consultative Meeting on the situation in Mali has urged the current Chairpersons of ECOWAS and the African Union, Presidents Alassane Ouattara of Cote d'Ivoire and Yayi Boni of Benin respectively, to seek the approval of the UN Security Council for the deployment of troops under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, ''with a view to taking all necessary measures for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Mali, if the need be, by the use of force''. PANA reports that Chapter 7 of the UN charter allows for sanctions, including economic measures and an arms embargo, as well as military force, to maintain peace. The decision on the possible use of Chaper 7 deployment followed the briefing made to the Consultative Meeting, which was held on the margins of this week's UEMOA Summit in Lome, Togo, by the ECOWAS Mediator on the Mali crisis, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso. The presentation highlighted the ''flagrant violation of human rights, the serious humanitarian situation and its consequences on regional and international peace and security'', according to a communique issued after the meeting. The regional leaders who attended the meeting also urged the Mediator to pursue his negotiations with the stakeholders with the exception of terrorist groups. They reiterated ECOWAS’ non-recognition of the CNRDRE formed by the military junta that seized power in Mali in March, as well as any status of Head of State or former Head of State bestowed on the junta leader, Capt. Amadou Sanogo. Meanwhile, West African military chiefs are due to meet in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, 16 June to deliberate on the structure of the Stand-by force being prepared for the Mali mission, PANA has learnt. The meeting is a follow-up to the mission planning conference held in Abuja, Nigeria, earlier.