Top stories from DAWNS Digest.
France Sending Drones to Mali
Plans for western intervention in Mali are becoming more and more concrete by the day. “France will move surveillance drones to West Africa and is holding secretive talks with U.S. officials in Paris this week as it seeks to steer international military action to help Mali’s feeble government win back the northern part of the country from al-Qaida-linked rebels, The Associated Press has learned. France and the United Nations insist any invasion of Mali’s north must be led by African troops. But France, which has six hostages in Mali and has citizens who have joined al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, is playing an increasing role behind the scenes.” (WaPo http://wapo.st/WEtJ1g)
Uganda Threatens to Withdraw from Congo Mediation Efforts
Kampala is none-too-pleased that it was named in a recently leaked UN report as supporting the same rebel group that is backed by Rwanda. “Uganda said on Monday it would stop mediating in the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels if the U.N. Security Council endorsed accusations that Uganda was supporting the rebels. A report by a U.N. panel of experts leaked to Reuters last week accused Uganda and Rwanda of providing support to M23, whose insurgency has displaced half a million people in North Kivu province, which borders both countries.” (Reuters http://reut.rs/WEu0kI)