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| Jonathan |
West African regional bloc ECOWAS is committed to restoring
peace to Mali and ensure Al-Qaeda is pushed out of the country’s north,
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Friday.
“We must take action to root out the Al-Qaeda, drug
traffickers, kidnappers and other criminal elements who are turning Northern
Mali into a home for terrorists”, he said during a meeting with German Foreign
Minister Guido Westerwelle.
Jonathan, who visited Mali recently, sought the support of
Germany and the European Union, an official statement from his office said.
“The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is
committed to restoring peace and normalcy to Mali, and therefore seeks the
support of German and the European Union”, he told Westerwelle.
Jonathan said contact with Malians during his visit there
showed a desire for peace and a commitment to remove the rebels from northern
Mali.
He said that Nigeria’s contribution to Mali would include
technical support for the military, the statement said.
ECOWAS has decided to deploy a regional force to Mali where
a coup overthrew President Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22.
The north of the west African nation has fallen under the
control of armed Islamist groups, some linked to Al-Qaeda, in the wake of the
coup.
On October 12, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution
preparing for the deployment of such a force for Mali, giving ECOWAS 45 days to
firm up its plans.
The German minister who arrived Nigeria from Mali for the
Nigeria-German Bi-National Commission meeting, said that his country was
interested in the destiny of the sub-region, and was willing to help restore
peace and normalcy to Mali.
The meeting will discuss bilateral trade and energy issues,
Westerwelle said at the opening of the meeting, adding that Germany will work
together with Nigeria “to overcome the threats and the challenges in the
region.”
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, is leading the
Nigerian team to the talks.
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