Mauritania prepared to intervene militarily in Mali as part of the UN

"If the situation changes, nothing will prevent Mauritania, as a member of the UN, to commit forces in the north (Mali), on the border or in the western regions of the country to stability and security "in these areas, said Mr Ould Abdel Aziz during a press conference with his Nigerian counterpart  Mahamadou Issoufou.

"This role we assume as soon as possible," he promised.

Although Mauritania has not participated in the war in Mali, it is because she "was not ready" because of the unscheduled intervention French and African troops on 11 January triggered to prevent a rising of armed Islamist groups who occupied northern Mali for nine months, to the south and the capital, Bamako, he said.

"This was a reaction to a catastrophic situation that faced Mali, which was not programmed to save a country that would be totally occupied by terrorists," said the Head of State of  Mauritania.

The Security Council of the UN has asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to submit a report before the end of March on the feasibility of an operation of peacekeeping in Mali.

President Aziz also highlighted that  the fight against Islamist militants in Mali  was"very important" to his country , through increased surveillance of its borders with neighboring countries. This helped, he said, "terrorists channel to the north, preventing them from taking refuge in our country and allows units to destroy them engaged in their sanctuaries".

The Nigerian president, whose country is engaged militarily in Mali, for his part, felt that the priority at the moment was "winning the war, not win the peace" in response to a question about the possible change of the African force in Mali (Misma) to a peacekeeping force of the United Nations.

Issoufou paid tribute to "the courage of the French forces and Chadians who are on the front lines" in  their combatting terrorism and organized crime in Mali.