France dragged the Sahel region to war

Algeria announced on Saturday that it followed “with great concern” the latest developments in Mali, after the outbreak of military operations.

Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Ammar Belani, said in a written statement (a copy of it available to Echorouk), that “Algeria strongly

condemns the attacks that were carried out by terrorist groups in the region of Moubti, considering it a new aggression against the

territorial integrity of Mali.”

“Before these new developments, Algeria expressed its explicit support to Mali transitional authorities, which relationships of cooperation

in various forms with the Algerian government, including the military field, and is keen to confirm their fraternal solidarity with Mali

people, so that it can recover its full sovereignty on its national soil.”

The spokesman added that Algeria strongly called upon the various rebel groups, that respect the territorial integrity of Mali, and which had nothing to do with terrorism, to start the search for a political solution.”

“Algeria includes its work within the continuity and harmony of the inclusive list of Security Council 2085, and in the framework of respecting its implementation, in order to ensure the political, humanitarian and security dimensions of Mali crisis. Mali called upon its friends countries, to help it strengthen its capacity of combating terrorism”.

On the other hand, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, said in a statement to the Algerian press agency, that foreign interference in Mali with the participation of Nigerian, Senegalese and French troops, along with the Malian army, is a “sovereign decision” of Mali, which asked help of the friendly forces.

First official position of the outbreak of war in Mali, comes after the position of Algeria remained expected against a military intervention in Mali, calling for the need to differentiate between terrorist groups (al-Qaeda and the Tawhid and Jihad) and Azawads, as well as Ansareddine movement “supporters of religion.”

But, the speed of launching the war which was initiated by France, raised concerns among observers, due to the effects of this “open war”, in particular with regard to securing the land borders and mechanisms of besieging the spread of terrorists, and paralyzing their movement, as well as the risk from the use of weapons and ammunition

that were smuggled from Libyan stores.

Observers also fear the repercussions of refugees displacement, fleeing from war and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, as watchers fear the lives of the hostages of the abducted, now after the outbreak of armed confrontations, including eight French and three Algerians.

Nigerian, Senegalese and French troops join Mali army, which conducted a counterattack on Friday to retrieve the City of Kuna (central Mali), which was controlled by armed groups on Saturday evening, parallel with the meeting of Francois Hollande, with the French Security Council, to study the mechanisms of managing the war in Mali.

Russia Kremlin representative for Africa, said in its first reaction, that every military operation in Africa must be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union. At the time Britain, Spain, Germany, the European Union and the United States supported war, and announced that it would support the French intervention with drones, asserting that the White House shared Paris the goal of combating terrorism.”

Burkina Faso announced on Saturday, that it sent a Corps of 500 soldiers to Mali. While Nigeria announced that it has sent a technical team of the Air Force, as well as the next leader of the African force, coinciding with the announcement of the “Brotherhood” in Egypt of rejection of the French war in Mali.