Messahel's new Sahel tour

"this meeting allowed us to review the situation in the sub-region in general, including the Sahel and the situation in Mali even more especially.  He stressed in this connection the "similarity of views on the threats of terrorism and organized crime."He also revealed, without further detail, that "the countries of the region have developed a strategy and common political, military and security action plan."
 
Abdelkader  Messahel stated that "with regard to the situation in northern Mali, the two countries agreed on the importance of dialogue as a means of solving problems in the framework of respect for sovereignty and integrity of Mali ".He added, Mauritania and Algeria "are for the fight against terrorism and organized crime by all means."

The Algerian Daily Le Matin comments that the prospects for a resolution of the  Malian crisis look better after the UN General Assembly conference in September as there is now general agreement on the deployment of the ECWAS force to liberate Northern Mali.  The countries in the field are at last more or less agreed.

Le Matin says that Washington backed the dialogue first policy, encouraging Mali to have elections  whilst at the sametime refusing to negotiate with terrorists.Recently recently in an interview with a private radiostation based in Bamako,  "military" leader of Mujao, Oumar Ould Hamaha, menaced Bamako by saying that the terrorist organization has a very important military arsenal. itstressed also that it demaned the application of sharia threatening a continuing nightmare for the people held in thrall in northern Mali. Jeune Afrique reported a demonstration by 200 women against the islamists of Ansar Dine in Timbuktu which was brutally suppressed on 6 October.

The upshot seems to be a two promged approach of continuing dialogue whilst preparing for military intervention to apply pressure on the Ansar Dine , AQIM and Mujao.In its latest issue Jeune Afrique has an entire suggested battle plan with maps of how  military action agains the islamist terrorist forces in the north of Mali could be carried out. How the disparate forces could be coordinated remains a question and the fear of civilian casualties due to bombing by aircraft and missles from drones. The terrorists are said to be short of munitions which are expensive to buy according to Jeune Afrique. It has a disturbing report that the terrorist forces are being supplied with petrol from Tamanrasset  which, if true, would require some explanation. As Churchill said 'Jaw Jaw is better than War War"  as the international community,West Africa and the countries of the Maghreb and the Sahel, grope their way forward trying to find a solution to the crisis in Northern Mali and the threat it represents to all the parties, both international and regional.

However there are hopeful signs , Maliweb citing the BBC reports that the MNLA indialogue with ECOWAS mediator President Blaise Campaore are said to ready to renounce their declaration of independence for Azawad.The forces ranged against Ansar Dine,AQIM and Mujao and their associates could increase under the right circumstances.

The Algeria and Mauritania have concerns about conflict spreading into their own national territories.

This is very understanable, the precedents of Libya and worst of all Syria bear eloquent tesimony to the spread of regional conflicts. However the time for action is coming.