AFRICA/MALI - Religious leaders consulted on the crisis of the Malian army

Bamako (Agenzia Fides) - "The Prime Minister met with the religious leaders of Mali, including the Archbishop of Bamako, His Exc. Mgr. Jean Zerbo, to ask their opinion on how to handle the fight within the Malian army" says to Fides Agency Don Edmond Dembele, Secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mali. In recent days, there have been serious clashes between the command-paratroopers (the "red berets") that guaranteed the safety of President Amadou Toumani Touré, deposed by the military coup in March 2012, and the "Green Berets", the authors of the coup. In April, the "red berets" had tried to turn the tables with a failed "coup against." Several of them had been imprisoned or had fled. The new national unity government had decided to release the members of this body, but two days after their release serious accidents between the commando-paratroopers and the "Green Berets" had broken out.
"The government wants to resolve this situation and I think that concrete steps to do so will be taken, because the Malian army needs to strengthen its internal cohesion in this difficult time for the Country. This is what the religious leaders stressed in their meeting with the Premier to whom they suggested applying the laws and military regulations," said Don Dembele.
Meanwhile in Gao the situation remains precarious after the onslaught of different jhadist fighters infiltrated in the city reconquered on January 26th by the Franco-Malian troops. The French army struck with helicopters some buildings which had fallen into the hands of the jihadists. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/02/2013).