OUAGADOUGOU: Burkina Faso said Saturday it would contribute 500 troops to the regional force tasked with wresting control of northern Mali back from Islamist groups linked to Al Qaeda.
Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, who had taken the lead in efforts to mediate a peaceful solution to the crisis, has given instructions for the deployment as part of the international support mission in Mali, Foreign Minister Djibrill Bassole told reporters.