European Union foreign ministers on Thursday called for the acceleration of an African-led military mission to Mali, which is supposed to help take over from French troops in the unrest-plagued country.
"The EU encourages the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to accelerate the deployment of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA)," the ministers said in joint conclusions after talks in Brussels.
The EU - which is poised to launch a military training mission of its own in Mali - is also ready to offer "financial and logistical support" to AFISMA, they added, calling on other donors to help finance its operations too.
The ministers additionally expressed concern about allegations of human rights violations in Mali, calling on the country's authorities to "immediately investigate" and insisting that offenders should be "held responsible for their acts."