Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle on the situation in Mali

BERLIN, Germany, January 14, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Foreign Minister Westerwelle issued the following statement on the current situation in Malitoday (13 January):

I welcome the success of the efforts by the Malian army, aided by France and African states, to stop the advances of the Islamists.

France was right to comply with the request from the Malian Government.

There is no question of German combat troops being deployed.

The plans for an EU mission to train the Malian armed forces will be continued. Whether and in what form Germany will be involved is going to be decided once the plans have been completed.

Germany wholeheartedly supports the African efforts to mediate a political process. For a durable settlement of the Mali conflict can only be achieved through a political solution under which constitutional order is restored throughout Mali and the justified concerns of the North are addressed.

Germany is also lending political support to the formation of an African task force to protect Mali's integrity. Further concrete commitments are not being considered at present and can be examined only once the parameters for an African mission and integration into a political process have been clarified.