France pledges to back action to crush Mali army revolt
►http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/apr2012/mali-a05.shtml
It appears that France and its West African proxies are seizing the opportunity to strengthen their military presence in the region. In July 2010 France has seized upon reports of the execution of a French aid worker by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to escalate its military intervention in its former colonies in the strategic Sahel region of Western Africa. (See: “France steps up military intervention in Sahel”)
Paris is particularly concerned that the March 22 coup led by Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo has opened the way for a Tuareg military offensive which has taken over the entire north of Mali. Tuareg separatist forces together with Al Qaeda-linked militia took over several towns of Mali’s northern desert regions and finally seized Timbuktu on Monday, after a 48-hour military operation. They encountered virtually no resistance from the Malian army.