Mali: AU takes over military command

The Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in the West Africa sub-region has approved the transition of the African-led International Support Mission in Mali to an African Union mandate.
According to AFISMA Force Commander, Major General Shehu Usman Abdulkadir, the transition followed a review of the concept of AFISMA, which is under the auspices of the Economic Community of West Africa.
Usman, who spoke in Bamako, Mali, said the transition to AU mandate means widening participation by brother-African countries in the prosecution of AFISMA operation.
Accordingly, a former President of Burundi, Pierre Buyoya, has been named the Head of Mission.
He is to be deputized by the ECOWAS Special Representative, Cheaka A. Toure.
Already, a couple of AU member countries, outside of ECOWAS, including Rwanda and Burundi, have pledged to contribute troops while Chad has since deployed her troops to the mission.
A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade stated these on Wednesday.
The Force Commander said further that the transition of AFISMA mandate from ECOWAS to AU underscores the solidarity and support of the international community to the overall goal of routing out the Jihadists from Mali and indeed the entire sub-region.
The statement said further: “Meanwhile, at the Emergency Meeting of the Sub-Committee of ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff attended by international partners including representatives of the United Nations, modalities for the imminent takeover of AFISMA operation by the UN were deliberated upon.
“The Committee will convey those requirements to the Heads of Government of ECOWAS, and hopefully, in two weeks time, they would be able to find a way around those conditions to enable a seamless transition of the mission to the UN.”