Malian FM : Military operation in Mali to last 'few weeks'

The France-led military intervention in Mali to oust Islamist rebels from the west African country may last a few weeks, Malian Foreign Affairs Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibali said on Tuesday. In an interview with local broadcaster Europe1, Coulibali said further military aid would be needed after the operation ends to help local authorities restore political stability. He also dismissed doubts that the international mobilization would cause a stalemate in the nation. During a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande said French forces had kept up air strikes against rebels in Mali overnight and pledged to send more troops to the conflict-torn country. "We will continue the deployment of forces on the ground and in the air. We have 750 troops deployed at the moment and that will keep increasing so that as quickly as possible we can hand over responsibility to the Africans," the president said.