Mali Crisis: Jonathan Attends ECOWAS Meeting …As 60 Air Force Officers Leave PH For Bamako

President Goodluck Jonathan will today leave Abuja for Abidjan, the Ivorian capital for an emergency meeting over the crisis in Mali.

Special Adviser to the President On Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, confirmed that “President Jonathan will depart for Cote d’Ivoire on Friday for an extra-ordinary meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),” scheduled for Saturday in Abidjan.

Already, other ECOWAS Heads of Government have started arriving Abidjan for the meeting on the deteriorating security situation in Mali, an Ivorian government statement has confirmed.

French troops swept into the West African country last Friday to check the march of a rebel movement that split the country into two in 2012 from heading to the country’s capital, Bamako.

The ECOWAS forces which started arriving Mali yesterday would now be fighting side by side with the French forces, which had already launched air raids  and ground offensive in rebel held areas.

Meanwhile, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has endorsed the deployment of 1,200 Nigerian soldiers on peace keeping mission to the Sahel region of Mali among the African-led force (AFISMA) on limited combat duties.

The Senate had given the approval following a request from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces, Goodluck Jonathan for the lawmakers’ consideration and approval for the deployment of the troops.

In response to the Senate approval and President Jonathan’s authorisation, 60 officers and men of the Special Operation Squad of the Nigerian Air Force, Port Harcourt, have departed Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, for Bamako, as part of the Nigerian contingent to Mali.