Belgium has not ruled out participating in a French military initiative in Mali aiming to bring together special forces from several countries, Belgian Foreign Minister Philippe Goffin told AFP Thursday.
”It’s a matter of debate, dialogue. There already are many troops in Mali, Niger,” Goffin said when asked in an interview whether Belgium would respond favorably to a French request that its European allies provide forces for the endeavor, known as Takuba. […]
Of the countries approached by France, Germany declined while Estonia promised to provide several dozen soldiers. […]
Goffin acknowledged that the UN mission in Mali (Minusma) — one of the UN’s deadliest and costliest — has lost public support.
”It’s true that the Malian population is now nearly in a phase of rejection of Minusma, believing it does nothing and that its activities are totally useless,” he said. Läs artikel