Mauritanian press dominated by crisis in Mali

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Mauritanian newspapers this week turned attention to the situation in northern Mali, occupied for several months now by terrorist groups linked to the Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The weekly "Le Calame," called for negotiations prior to any military action as advocated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The newspaper "Nouakchott Info" suggests a distant deadline before the deployment of the forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The paper actually proposed that a military intervention should not take place until September-October 2013.

Under the headline "Conflict in Northern Mali: truce between the protagonists for an inclusive dialogue", the newspaper "Le Rénovateur", favours a possible cooperation and dialogue between Bamako, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist Ansar Dine.

The newspaper said that the crisis can only be resolved through dialogue based on respect for the country’s territorial integrity.
-0- PANA SAS/JSG/JEN/VAO 8Dec2012