PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday warned that regional troops would definitely intervene in the occupied area if negotiations with extremists in Mali  failed to yield a solution.

This came days after Mali’s new Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said that winning back the Islamist-occupied north was the top priority of a unity government which was formed on orders from West African mediators.

The armed Islamist groups have openly allied with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim) and are enforcing strict sharia law.

On Wednesday they banned all secular music from radio waves in the north, the latest move after recently cutting off the hand of a thief and stoning to death an unmarried couple.

In the fabled city of Timbuktu they smashed ancient Muslim shrines, declaring them “idolatrous” just days after the UNESCO World Heritage site was put on an endangered list.

Jonathan, who was on a 24-hour visit to Senegal yesterday after talks with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall, said: “Diplomacy or negotiation is the first, military intervention is extreme. When negotiation fails that is the time you can talk about military intervention.”

He said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would also need a United Nations mandate before stepping in.

“ECOWAS will definitely intervene militarily, but ... first and foremost we are negotiating. We must stabilise the government ... I believe through negotiation we will be able to resolve the crisis, we don’t necessarily need military intervention ... but if that fails we will have no option.”

Mali this week formed a new unity government on orders from ECOWAS in the hopes it would be better able to deal with the country’s crises, and make an official request for military backup from the regional troops.

The new government, announced by presidential decree on Monday, saw six ministers booted out of their positions in an administration formed to take over from a military junta that took power in a March coup.

Once one of the region’s most stable democracies, Mali has crumbled into despair since President Amadou Toumani Toure was overthrown by the military.

The new government was formed after an order from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediators. Embattled interim authorities stood by helplessly as the Islamists deepened their hold on the north.

Controversial Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra remains at the head of government despite calls for his resignation from much of Mali’s political class who accused him of incompetence and having no plan to win back the north.

Interim President Dioncounda Traore in August declared his confidence in his prime minister, a renowned astrophycisist and former chairman of Microsoft Africa.

The ensuing political chaos allowed Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist rebels to seize control of the vast desert north, an area larger than France or Texas, where they have enforced strict sharia law.

The option of a military intervention from a 3,300-strong Economic Community of West African States standby force has been on the table for months but “very little” has been done to implement this, Mali’s Defence Minister Yamoussa Camara admitted recently.

Mali’s army chief of staff Ibrahima Dembele has said the Malian army - which is sorely in need of training and equipment - will play the lead role in ejecting the jihadists.

“No-one will fight this war in place of Mali, but the others will provide support, above all in the air and in logistics,” he said on Tuesday.

The UN has asked for more information on the size, means and plans of the proposed force before granting it a mandate.

ECOWAS on Wednesday urged the new government to swiftly organise elections and re-establish “territorial integrity”.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96534:force-inevitable-if-mali-talks-fail-says-nigeria&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Must we always poke nose in every African countries matter? When we have our problem on ground(BH and MEND). Or is it not this same help we gave South Africa some years back, that we gained nothing from.
I think GEJ should learn a little lesson from how the US do their things, concerning helping of countries.
Those guys don't support you without a string attached.
Or is it not oil money they'll use in financing the operation?! Is there any benefit we have in helping these people? GEJ/9ja better wise up

Paul John: Must we always poke nose in every African countries matter? When we have our problem on ground(BH and MEND). Or is it not this same help we gave South Africa some years back, that we gained nothing from.
I think GEJ should learn a little lesson from how the US do their things, concerning helping of countries.
Those guys don't support you without a string attached.
Or is it not oil money they'll use in financing the operation?! Is there any benefit we have in helping these people? GEJ/9ja better wise up

Precisely. Nigeria has not finished dealing with boko haram, high rate of kidnapping and ritualism yet we want to play mesiah to another West African country. Talk about trying to remove the log of wood in another country's eye when we have not yet removed the log in our eye as a country. I have also noticed that there is so much religious divisiveness and intolerance in African countries that occupy significant muslim and christian populations.

From what I read in the article, northern Mali is occupied by muslims just like in Nigeria and the northern malians seem to be giving their country a headache just like boko haram (a muslim northern invention) is giving Nigeria a headache. If not that Mali is a french speaking country, I would have suggested that muslim Northern Mali and muslim Northern Nigeria form a country so that we all can rest.

Paul John: Must we always poke nose in every African countries matter? When we have our problem on ground(BH and MEND). Or is it not this same help we gave South Africa some years back, that we gained nothing from.
I think GEJ should learn a little lesson from how the US do their things, concerning helping of countries.
Those guys don't support you without a string attached.
Or is it not oil money they'll use in financing the operation?! Is there any benefit we have in helping these people? GEJ/9ja better wise up

If you haven't noticed, Nigeria plays a tremendous role in African politics and affairs. Nigeria is a political giant in Africa whose actions influence many other smaller countries.

Just because there are internal issues that need urgent action and resolution doesn't mean that Nigeria should hide itself from the international scene or fail to play the tremendous role that sits on its shoulders as the "Giant of Africa".

Responsibilities are responsibilities.

The Tuareg will just revolt again after the uprising is quelled. They've revolted multiple times before now, so just give them a country in the desert already.

Mali should split like Nigeria should split. Just get all the leaders at a table and draw up the territories of the new nations.

PhysicsQED: The Tuareg will just revolt again after the uprising is quelled. They've revolted multiple times before now, so just give them a country in the desert already.

Mali should split like Nigeria should split. Just get all the leaders at a table and draw up the territories of the new nations.

The problem is that there is not really a territory per se available for the Tuaregs. They are mostly nomadic who roam a large chunk of the Sahel- Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Algeria, Libya and even Nigeria. They also live amongst other people who believe they are indigenous. Even northern Mali is not at all a "Tuareg Territory" cos they are others like Songhai, Fulani, Mandinka etc also indigenous to the area. It will be difficult, if not impossible to give them "their" own territory.

There is a DIRECT nexus bw d terroists in Mali and AQIM in Algeria nd BH in Nigeria?why do u tink BH is currently on d run if not 4 d fact dat d contacts nd help they were previously getting 4rm outside in terms of men, money and resources are bn cut-off by d military nd intelligence services in cooperatn wit oda coun3s in d region. Ask Pakistan wot it had had to bear cos of Afganistan in its backyard; ask Kenya d no of bombs dat hv gone off in its land cos of Somali nd why its army is nw fighting in Somali against al Shabab. Global terroists like al Queda usuali seek 4 Weak/Poor coun3s nd regions as dier base 4rm where they spread terror. They re currently running away 4rm Afganistan, Yemen nd Somali cos of d drones nd hv ran to northern Mali(by d way, most of these terroists are not Malians but ppl 4rm across d islamic world including BH Nigerians) and sm of u re foolishly saying cos of ignorance dat 9jeria shld not be concernd? This is d one time dat 9jeria's interventn in oda coun3s mks a lot of sense cos any foothold of global terroists in Mali or d Sahel coun3s will spell DOOM 4 9jeria nd West Africa. not only will current terroist acts in 9ja escalate but d BH thing as it is will be a child's play.

Nigeria "played" the USA when they were putting huge pressure on us to intervene in Somali; we kept telling them that we will intervene. Till this day we havent sent troops there cos our immediate interests were not in jeopardy and also cos there were real risks of intervening in alShabaab-invested Somali. In this case however, we MUST be engaged cos it is critical for our current and future stability.

There are certainly some demerits though in intervening but we may have no choice really cos allowing an international group of terroists to turn our background into another Afganistan would be a most cravious error. The Negotiations and souring up of the govt in Mali is the first good step.

odumchi:

If you haven't noticed, Nigeria plays a tremendous role in African politics and affairs. Nigeria is a political giant in Africa whose actions influence many other smaller countries.

Just because there are internal issues that need urgent action and resolution doesn't mean that Nigeria should hide itself from the international scene or fail to play the tremendous role that sits on its shoulders as the "Giant of Africa".

Responsibilities are responsibilities.

No one is challenging the fact that Nigeria has a major role to play in Africa. Don't you think it's better if the giant of Africa solve it's internal problem first, before thinking of any other country? And I'm asking again, what's going to be our gain from helping this country? Isn't it our money they'll spend on the operation they want to carry out? Can't the FG channel the money into combating the Boko Haram menace?

So GEJ will not use force on BH because they are his siblings but he can go to Mali and use force because they are what? His enemies? Which person is talking, the lion or the lamb?

Senegal- President Goodluck Jonathan Has Ruled Out Using Force Against Bh https://www.nairaland.com/1027218/senegal-president-goodluck-jonathan-ruled

taharqa: There is a DIRECT nexus bw d terroists in Mali and AQIM in Algeria nd BH in Nigeria?why do u tink BH is currently on d run if not 4 d fact dat d contacts nd help they were previously getting 4rm outside in terms of men, money and resources are bn cut-off by d military nd intelligence services in cooperatn wit oda coun3s in d region. Ask Pakistan wot it had had to bear cos of Afganistan in its backyard; ask Kenya d no of bombs dat hv gone off in its land cos of Somali nd why its army is nw fighting in Somali against al Shabab. Global terroists like al Queda usuali seek 4 Weak/Poor coun3s nd regions as dier base 4rm where they spread terror. They re currently running away 4rm Afganistan, Yemen nd Somali cos of d drones nd hv ran to northern Mali(by d way, most of these terroists are not Malians but ppl 4rm across d islamic world including BH Nigerians) and sm of u re foolishly saying cos of ignorance dat 9jeria shld not be concernd? This is d one time dat 9jeria's interventn in oda coun3s mks a lot of sense cos any foothold of global terroists in Mali or d Sahel coun3s will spell DOOM 4 9jeria nd West Africa. not only will current terroist acts in 9ja escalate but d BH thing as it is will be a child's play.

Nigeria "played" the USA when they were putting huge pressure on us to intervene in Somali; we kept telling them that we will intervene. Till this day we havent sent troops there cos our immediate interests were not in jeopardy and also cos there were real risks of intervening in alShabaab-invested Somali. In this case however, we MUST be engaged cos it is critical for our current and future stability.

There are certainly some demerits though in intervening but we may have no choice really cos allowing an international group of terroists to turn our background into another Afganistan would be a most cravious error. The Negotiations and souring up of the govt in Mali is the first good step.

+100000000000...000

Bros, ur head dey there die. ur kind of commentators and analysts r not common on NL nowadays sir.

taharqa: There is a DIRECT nexus bw d terroists in Mali and AQIM in Algeria nd BH in Nigeria?why do u tink BH is currently on d run if not 4 d fact dat d contacts nd help they were previously getting 4rm outside in terms of men, money and resources are bn cut-off by d military nd intelligence services in cooperatn wit oda coun3s in d region. Ask Pakistan wot it had had to bear cos of Afganistan in its backyard; ask Kenya d no of bombs dat hv gone off in its land cos of Somali nd why its army is nw fighting in Somali against al Shabab. Global terroists like al Queda usuali seek 4 Weak/Poor coun3s nd regions as dier base 4rm where they spread terror. They re currently running away 4rm Afganistan, Yemen nd Somali cos of d drones nd hv ran to northern Mali(by d way, most of these terroists are not Malians but ppl 4rm across d islamic world including BH Nigerians) and sm of u re foolishly saying cos of ignorance dat 9jeria shld not be concernd? This is d one time dat 9jeria's interventn in oda coun3s mks a lot of sense cos any foothold of global terroists in Mali or d Sahel coun3s will spell DOOM 4 9jeria nd West Africa. not only will current terroist acts in 9ja escalate but d BH thing as it is will be a child's play.

Nigeria "played" the USA when they were putting huge pressure on us to intervene in Somali; we kept telling them that we will intervene. Till this day we havent sent troops there cos our immediate interests were not in jeopardy and also cos there were real risks of intervening in alShabaab-invested Somali. In this case however, we MUST be engaged cos it is critical for our current and future stability.

There are certainly some demerits though in intervening but we may have no choice really cos allowing an international group of terroists to turn our background into another Afganistan would be a most cravious error. The Negotiations and souring up of the govt in Mali is the first good step.

Exactly

taharqa: There is a DIRECT nexus bw d terroists in Mali and AQIM in Algeria nd BH in Nigeria?why do u tink BH is currently on d run if not 4 d fact dat d contacts nd help they were previously getting 4rm outside in terms of men, money and resources are bn cut-off by d military nd intelligence services in cooperatn wit oda coun3s in d region. Ask Pakistan wot it had had to bear cos of Afganistan in its backyard; ask Kenya d no of bombs dat hv gone off in its land cos of Somali nd why its army is nw fighting in Somali against al Shabab. Global terroists like al Queda usuali seek 4 Weak/Poor coun3s nd regions as dier base 4rm where they spread terror. They re currently running away 4rm Afganistan, Yemen nd Somali cos of d drones nd hv ran to northern Mali(by d way, most of these terroists are not Malians but ppl 4rm across d islamic world including BH Nigerians) and sm of u re foolishly saying cos of ignorance dat 9jeria shld not be concernd? This is d one time dat 9jeria's interventn in oda coun3s mks a lot of sense cos any foothold of global terroists in Mali or d Sahel coun3s will spell DOOM 4 9jeria nd West Africa. not only will current terroist acts in 9ja escalate but d BH thing as it is will be a child's play.

Nigeria "played" the USA when they were putting huge pressure on us to intervene in Somali; we kept telling them that we will intervene. Till this day we havent sent troops there cos our immediate interests were not in jeopardy and also cos there were real risks of intervening in alShabaab-invested Somali. In this case however, we MUST be engaged cos it is critical for our current and future stability.

There are certainly some demerits though in intervening but we may have no choice really cos allowing an international group of terroists to turn our background into another Afganistan would be a most cravious error. The Negotiations and souring up of the govt in Mali is the first good step.

Exactly

taharqa: There is a DIRECT nexus bw d terroists in Mali and AQIM in Algeria nd BH in Nigeria?why do u tink BH is currently on d run if not 4 d fact dat d contacts nd help they were previously getting 4rm outside in terms of men, money and resources are bn cut-off by d military nd intelligence services in cooperatn wit oda coun3s in d region. Ask Pakistan wot it had had to bear cos of Afganistan in its backyard; ask Kenya d no of bombs dat hv gone off in its land cos of Somali nd why its army is nw fighting in Somali against al Shabab. Global terroists like al Queda usuali seek 4 Weak/Poor coun3s nd regions as dier base 4rm where they spread terror. They re currently running away 4rm Afganistan, Yemen nd Somali cos of d drones nd hv ran to northern Mali(by d way, most of these terroists are not Malians but ppl 4rm across d islamic world including BH Nigerians) and sm of u re foolishly saying cos of ignorance dat 9jeria shld not be concernd? This is d one time dat 9jeria's interventn in oda coun3s mks a lot of sense cos any foothold of global terroists in Mali or d Sahel coun3s will spell DOOM 4 9jeria nd West Africa. not only will current terroist acts in 9ja escalate but d BH thing as it is will be a child's play.

Nigeria "played" the USA when they were putting huge pressure on us to intervene in Somali; we kept telling them that we will intervene. Till this day we havent sent troops there cos our immediate interests were not in jeopardy and also cos there were real risks of intervening in alShabaab-invested Somali. In this case however, we MUST be engaged cos it is critical for our current and future stability.

There are certainly some demerits though in intervening but we may have no choice really cos allowing an international group of terroists to turn our background into another Afganistan would be a most cravious error. The Negotiations and souring up of the govt in Mali is the first good step.

Exactly

what is wrong with the religion islam. it seems that the only way to show u are a faithful muslim is by being heartless and dump. guys islam is not a gud religion.