Tag Archives: France
26 January 2013
It has been almost two weeks since France began a military intervention to help the Malian army fight Islamist groups controlling the north of the country. The operation — code-named ‘Serval’ — was sparked by the ‘serious deterioration of the situation’ in Mali, after successful offensives by extremists who managed to take over the city of Konna, ‘a frontier town that had been the de facto line of government control’. The action of France, coming about after months of lengthy negotiations attempting to resolve the crisis in Mali, has been overall welcomed by the international community, and reportedly relatively successful in pushing back Islamists. In terms of international law, the military operation raises a number of issues, two aspects of which this blog post will address: the responsibility for maintaining peace, and the responsibility during the conduct of war. (more…)
24 January 2013
United States (US) military aircrafts were used in order to transport more than 80 French troops and 124 tonnes of equipment into Mali.
The US examines a request for aerial refuelling support, made by the French.
Source: The Huffington Post | Mali Intervention: U.S. Planes Arrive In Mali
17 January 2013
The French corporation Amesys is being investigated for complicity in acts of torture by supplying communications surveillance equipment to the Gaddafi regime. The complaint filed by human rights associations in October 2011 had been considered inadmissible by the Prosecutor, but on 15 January 2013 the Court of Appeal of Paris allowed the investigation to proceed.
The role of Amesys and other companies in providing surveillance materials to the Libyan regime has been revealed by the Wall Street Journal in August 2011.
Source: FIDH | Amesys Case: The Investigation Chamber green lights the investigative proceedings on the sale of surveillance equipment by Amesys to the Khadafi regime
Source: Le Figaro | Libye: feu vert à l'enquête sur Amesys
15 January 2013
Following a call for help by the Malian government after offensives by Islamists groups in northern Mali, France started engaging in air-strikes on 11 January 2013.
The operations are carried out in support of the Malian army, while the deployment of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (authorized by UNSC Resolution 2085) has been slow moving.
Other States have announced they were ready to provide some logistical support (e.g. assistance in the transport of troops and materials). At the same time, ECOWAS announced it will also deploying a number of troops in the area.
The French President stated that the intervention was agreed upon with the interim President of Mali and hence was in compliance with international law.
Source: BBC | French troops continue operation against Mali Islamists
Source: The New York Times | France Battling Islamists in Mali
Source: The Wall Street Journal | French Join Africa Battle With Islamist Rebels
Source: France24 | France seeks allies in Mali operation
7 November 2012
On 12 October, the United Nations Security Council (UN SC) adopted a resolution, determining that the situation in Mali ‘constitutes a threat to international peace and security’. The UN SC declared its ‘readiness’ to send an international military force to assist the Malian armed forced to drive Islamists out of the north of Mali. After a coup in March 2012, much of the country is occupied and controlled by Tuareg rebels and Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda. The authorities of Mali and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were given a 45 day deadline to formulate a plan for military action led by ECOWAS. The European Union considers assisting ECOWAS with military planning and logistics and sending about 200 troops to train Mali’s army to retake the north of Mali.
Source: Reuters | EU considers sending 200 troops to train Mali army
Source: The Guardian | France to send drones to Mali in fight against al-Qaida-backed insurgents
Source: The Guardian | North Mali prepares for war as refugees dream of liberation from al-Qaida
Source: The Guardian | Islamist rebels vow assault on Malian capital if international forces attack