French FM to attend ECOWAS summit in Abidjan

PARIS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will attend the summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abidjan on Saturday to discuss the crisis in Mali, the Foreign Ministry announced Friday.

The summit comes a few days after France sent forces into its former colony to carry out air strikes and launch ground operation against the al-Qaida-linked Islamist rebels in Mali on request of the Malian government.

The summit is of particular importance at the moment when West African countries are mobilized to deploy the first military group of an African-led international Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA), authorized by the resolution 2085 of the UN Security Council.

At the summit, Fabius will discuss with African partners the political and military development of Mali, according to the ministry.

Some European countries and the United States have offered to provide logistical or transport assistance to French forces, which is currently operating in Mali to help its armed forces stop the advancement of the rebels from the north of the country.

France has deployed 1,400 soldiers on the ground, and planned to increase the number of its troops to 2,500.

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