West African regional leaders have
agreed to deploy 3,300 soldiers to
Mali to retake the north from
Islamist extremists.
At a summit of Ecowas, the group's
chairman said it was ready to use
force to "dismantle terrorist and
transnational criminal networks".
The soldiers would be provided
mainly by Nigeria, Niger and Burkina
Faso.
Islamist groups and Tuareg rebels
took control of the north after Mali's
president was overthrown in March.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Outtara
told reporters in the Nigerian capital,
Abuja, that the soldiers could be
deployed as soon as the UN approved
the military plan.
He said he hoped the Security Council
would approve the plan by late
November or early December.


www.m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20292797