Mali’s government says it has formed an “elite force” to protect the country’s interim leaders, seven weeks after an attack on the interim president. Government spokesman Hamadoun Toure told VOA Monday that the force of 1,200 will be assigned to guard the president, prime minister, the speaker of the national assembly, and other state institutions. […]
Mali Creates ‘Elite Force’ To Protect Interim Leaders
Posted July 9th, 2012 at 11:40 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
Mali Focus of West African Leaders’ Meeting
Posted July 6th, 2012 at 10:50 am (UTC-5)
Several West African leaders meet Saturday to review the situation in Mali and discuss ways of retaking the north from Islamist militants. Malian military officers and political parties have been invited to the meeting, hosted by regional bloc ECOWAS in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. ECOWAS director of external relations, Abdel Fatau Musah, said participants will […]
UN Concerned About Rising Terror Threat in Mali
Posted July 5th, 2012 at 1:15 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations has expressed concern about the growing terror threat in northern Mali and has asked member states to help identify terrorist suspects. The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution Thursday noting the presence of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the north of Mali. The resolution expressed concern about the rising number […]
UN Concerned About Rising Terror Threat in Mali
Posted July 5th, 2012 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
The United Nations has expressed “deep concern” about the threat posed by terrorists in northern Mali. The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution on Thursday noting the presence of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the region. The council said it was concerned about increased kidnapping and a proliferation of weapons in northern Mali, […]
UN Body Moves to Protect Historic Sites Under Attack in Mali
Posted July 3rd, 2012 at 11:25 am (UTC-5)
The U.N. World Heritage Committee has called for a special fund to protect Mali’s cultural heritage, after militants destroyed ancient shrines in Timbuktu. In a statement Tuesday, the 21-member committee condemned what it called “repugnant acts” by Islamist hardliners. The panel also recommended the U.N. send a mission to Mali as soon as possible to […]
Mali Islamists Destroy Ancient Timbuktu Sites
Posted July 2nd, 2012 at 5:45 pm (UTC-5)
Islamist militants in Mali’s historic city Timbuktu destroyed and damaged ancient sites for a third straight day, defying international threats of prosecution. Witnesses say the al-Qaida-linked group Ansar Dine targeted the 15th-century Sidi Yahya mosque on Monday, tearing off the entrance door. The door is considered sacred and was to remain closed until the end […]
Mali Islamists Destroy Ancient Timbuktu Sites
Posted July 2nd, 2012 at 2:35 pm (UTC-5)
Islamist militants in Mali’s historic city Timbuktu destroyed and damaged ancient sites for a third straight day, defying international threats of prosecution. Witnesses say the al-Qaida-linked group Ansar Dine targeted the 15th-century Sidi Yahya mosque on Monday, tearing off the entrance door. The door is considered sacred and was to remain closed until the end […]
Mali Islamists Destroy Ancient Timbuktu Sites
Posted July 2nd, 2012 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
Islamist militants in Mali’s historic city Timbuktu destroyed and damaged ancient sites for a third straight day, defying international threats of prosecution. Witnesses say the al-Qaida-linked group Ansar Dine targeted the 15th-century Sidi Yahya mosque on Monday, tearing off the entrance door. The door is considered sacred and was to remain closed until the end […]
Mali Islamists Destroy More Ancient Shrines in Timbuktu
Posted July 1st, 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC-5)
Islamist rebels in northern Mali on Sunday defied international calls to stop destroying ancient shrines in the city of Timbuktu. For the second straight day, rebels with the militant group Ansar Dine used tools to hack away at the mausoleums of Sufi saints. The United Nationas last week declared the ancient city a World Heritage […]
Armed Islamists Destroy Timbuktu Sites
Posted June 30th, 2012 at 2:10 pm (UTC-5)
Mali’s interim government has condemned what it called the “destructive rage” of armed members of the Islamist Ansar Dine group who destroyed historic shrines in the ancient city of Timbuktu Saturday. In a statement, the government said the attacks amount to war crimes and vowed to pursue those responsible, even possibly in the International Criminal […]
