British send planes to Mali to help French efforts

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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The RAF is sending two planes to Mali to help French efforts against Islamic terrorists in that country.

The French military does not have the heavy lifting capabilities that the British military has so the RAF is sending to huge C-17 Globemasters - bigger planes than anything the French military has - to France to pick up French kit and transport it to Mali.

The first plane flew from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire earlier today and will now load up with equipment before flying to Mali on Monday.



France has attacked militants in Mali to support the Malian government in recent days.

A second C17 is due to arrive on Sunday evening. No UK troops would be deployed in a combat role, Downing Street said.

The first plane has arrived at the French Evreux airbase where it will be loaded with French armoured vehicles and other equipment before flying to Bamako. It will make just one trip.

The second C17 will shuttle between Mali and France for the next few days.

The Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, indicated British personnel could play a role in training the Malian army through the European Union.

He said the UK was providing "only very limited strategic tactical support" in the form of the two C17 transport planes, in response to a French request.

The C17 has a much greater lifting capacity than the aircraft the French use, the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris said.

"There are no plans to extend the UK's military involvement at the moment," Mr Simmonds told the BBC News Channel.

Justifying the government's decision to help, he told Sky News there was a "thoroughly unpleasant regime" in the north of the country with "raping and sexual violence taking place" and children being forced into the military.

The move to transport foreign troops and equipment was agreed in a phone call between Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande on Saturday night, Downing Street said.

"The prime minister spoke to President Hollande... to discuss the deteriorating situation... and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the Malian government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country," a spokeswoman said.

"The prime minister has agreed that the UK will provide logistical military assistance to help transport foreign troops and equipment quickly.

"We will not be deploying any British personnel in a combat role. They also agreed that the peacekeeping mission from West African countries needs to be strongly supported by countries in the region and deployed as quickly as possible.

"Both leaders agreed that the situation in Mali poses a real threat to international security given terrorist activity there."

BBC News - Mali: RAF C17 cargo plane to help French operation