France calls for halt to fighting in Mali

The French Foreign Ministry on Thursday called for an end to fighting between Tuareg rebels and UN- and French-backed Malian army forces in and around the town of Kidal, which was attacked last week and has fallen into the control of Tuareg tribesmen from the MNLA group (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad). Diplomats said here earlier that initially only 40 French troops were deployed in the area and it was Malian security forces that were in charge of the situation. French forces were also escorting Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara to Kidal when the attacks took place and Malian forces are now battling to recover control of Kidal. Eight soldiers were killed, along with 28 civilians and rebels, in the initial attack. "France supports the call of the UN Secretary-General for an immediate cease-fire," Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said in a briefing. The UN is currently building up a force of 11,000 troops and police to serve in Mali, with the bulk of the forces coming from African nations. Nadal stressed that groups outside of the army in Mali were called upon by the UN to put down their weapons and take part in a dialogue on the institutional reforms in the country and a "global and definitive peace". "As the UN Security Council recalled on May 20, it is urgent that the parties come back to the negotiating table in order to avoid an escalation," the spokesman added. He stressed that public order and territorial integrity in Mali were the responsibility of the Malian security forces. Source: KUNA