Ban Ki-moon hails Dutch contribution to UN mission in Mali

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the decision of the Netherlands to make a major contribution to the UN peace-keeping force in Mali, his spokesman said. The Netherlands pledged to send four armed helicopters, other critical assets, and approximately 380 military, police and civilian personnel to the UN mission in Mali. The 11,200-strong UN mission in Mali, the third largest peace-keeping operation of the world body, is mandated to assume authority from a UN-backed African force deployed there to combat Islamist extremist threats in the country. Most of the African force is likely to become part of UN mission. The UN Security Council has called on member states to provide troops and police with adequate capabilities and equipments. The Malian conflict began in early 2012 with a rebellion of ethnic Tuareg groups in the north of the country. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and prompted the government to request assistance from France to halt the southward march of the extremists, as the African force gradually built strength.