Algerian attempts to solve Malian crisis

Maghreb and African Affairs Minister Delegate Abdelkader Messahel is going on a west African tour starting on Sunday. A delegation of senior high level military officials from the Ministry of Defence is accompanying Messahel in his tour which follows the recent troubles North Mali has encountered with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. General Carter F. Ham Commander of US Africa Command told Maroc–Hebdo magazine that the main goal of his last visit to Algeria was to show the US support to an important partner in the region, to continue the dialogue about potential bilateral cooperation areas and to understand the regional point of view about the situation in Mali. He explained the the US orientation remains unchanged and that there are “no plans for US direct military intervention” in the Sahel and that this should be decided by the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS). He added that the US will logistically support the Malian government if they decide on a military offensive. President Boutteflika received General Carter on his visit to Algeria (September 29-30) where they discussed the Malian situation. Following the visit, AFRICOM Chief Carter Ham stated that both countries agree on preliminary perspectives which includes the negotiations between the central government and northern factions to eliminate the armed terrorist groups.