Malian President Dioncounda Traore has ruled out negotiations with any of the Islamist groups that are being chased from the north of the country with the help of French forces. In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Traore said he had "initially thought we could negotiate with groups that were essentially composed of Malians."
But "almost all these groups have disqualified themselves, except maybe the MNLA," he said, referring to the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, a secular Tuareg nationalist movement that initially joined forces with the fundamentalists but later fell out with them.
The "disqualified" groups included Ansar Dine, a Malian Islamist group led by a former Tuareg independence fighter, Iyad ag Ghali, who allied himself with two al-Qaeda-linked groups. The three groups seized control of northern Mali last year but are now on the run from French and Malian forces.
French forces on Tuesday took control of the airport of the last rebel-held town of Kidal. Unlike Timbuktu and Gao, which were liberated by combined French and Malian forces, France has kept the Malian army at bay in Kidal, fearing its presence could stoke tensions in the predominantly Tuareg town.
The MNLA, which claims to now control the town, is demanding a form of autonomy for the region in return for help in fighting terrorism.
Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter radio Thursday morning that French forces were waiting for "other African forces" in order to secure the town.
France launched Operation Serval in mid-January to help Malian government forces halt the rebels' advance towards the capital Bamako.
In three weeks the rebel offensive has been halted and most of their urban strongholds recaptured. The battle now moves to their desert and mountain hideouts, where the insurgents are believed to be holding seven French hostages.
France would "contribute to", but not lead that battle, Le Drian said. Traore told RFI he thought that "with maximum a month we (Malian forces) will be present everywhere."
West African countries are sending thousands of troops to join the operation. Ethnic tensions are running high in Mali. Human rights groups have already reported attacks by Malian soldiers and militia on Tuaregs and Arabs who are suspected of having supported the Islamists.
France has called for United Nations observers to be deployed in northern towns to help keep the peace.