European Knight
09-03-2015, 05:21 PM
Authorities say at least seven jihadis accused of attacking the Malian military in the country's south have been arrested in neighboring Ivory Coast.
Modibo Naman Traore, a spokesman for the Malian special forces, said Thursday that the suspects had been hiding in the forests of northern Ivory Coast.
The men have been handed over to Malian authorities.
Malian authorities believe that the men are linked with the group Ansar Dine that used to rule portions of the north before a French-led military assault ousted them from power in 2013.
Islamic extremists, once limited to the northern half of Mali, have been launching attacks further and further south over the past year.
7 Suspected in Mali Attacks Arrested in Ivory Coast - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/suspected-mali-attacks-arrested-ivory-coast-33504085)
Mali's defense ministry adviser says that five neighboring countries have met to discuss a joint force to fight extremism in the region.
Lt. Col. Diarran Kone said Wednesday that representatives from Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad are meeting in Bamako to strategize. He said they are meeting with experts from the African Union and
the West African economic bloc, ECOWAS, to discuss what is necessary to deploy such a military force.
There have been several meetings of the five Sahel countries. The G5 Sahel is an institutional framework for coordinating and monitoring security in the region. The first summit was held in February in Mauritania
to coordinate development and security policies.
The Sahel is a band of African countries nestled on the southern edge of the Sahara desert.
Mali, Neighboring Countries Plan Force to Fight Extremists - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mali-neighboring-countries-plan-force-fight-extremists-33485328)
Modibo Naman Traore, a spokesman for the Malian special forces, said Thursday that the suspects had been hiding in the forests of northern Ivory Coast.
The men have been handed over to Malian authorities.
Malian authorities believe that the men are linked with the group Ansar Dine that used to rule portions of the north before a French-led military assault ousted them from power in 2013.
Islamic extremists, once limited to the northern half of Mali, have been launching attacks further and further south over the past year.
7 Suspected in Mali Attacks Arrested in Ivory Coast - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/suspected-mali-attacks-arrested-ivory-coast-33504085)
Mali's defense ministry adviser says that five neighboring countries have met to discuss a joint force to fight extremism in the region.
Lt. Col. Diarran Kone said Wednesday that representatives from Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad are meeting in Bamako to strategize. He said they are meeting with experts from the African Union and
the West African economic bloc, ECOWAS, to discuss what is necessary to deploy such a military force.
There have been several meetings of the five Sahel countries. The G5 Sahel is an institutional framework for coordinating and monitoring security in the region. The first summit was held in February in Mauritania
to coordinate development and security policies.
The Sahel is a band of African countries nestled on the southern edge of the Sahara desert.
Mali, Neighboring Countries Plan Force to Fight Extremists - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mali-neighboring-countries-plan-force-fight-extremists-33485328)