BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — France’s foreign minister says he’s opposed to a military operation in Mali, where government forces are battling Tuareg separatists.
Alain Juppe says his country is willing to help mediate between Mali’s government and the rebels who began their offensive in mid-January.
Juppe met with Mali’s president on Sunday to discuss the unrest and the Malian presidential election set for later this year. The meeting came a day after Juppe spoke with the president of Burkina Faso.
Tens of thousands have been displaced internally or have fled to surrounding countries since the separatist group began attacking towns in Mali, a former French colony.
