International community needs to act fast on Mali: foreign minister

The Netherlands is keen to see the speedy establishment of a European training mission for Malian government soldiers, foreign minister Frans Timmermans said in a briefing to parliament.


In addition, the foreign affairs ministry backs ‘stronger and speedier action from the international community’ in Mali, Nos television quotes Timmermans as saying.
The French armed forces have been involved in (mainly) air strikes against Islamic militants in the African country since Friday. According to the BBC, they are now preparing for ground combat.
The Netherlands has not yet been approached by France to become involved. However, there should be no time lost now the UN has unanimously called for foreign intervention, the Dutch foreign minister said.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation