Building peace in Mali

Two weeks into the French-led military intervention in Mali, members of the international community have accelerated their support while the mission to hunt down extremists and Islamist militants is making headway. The mission, backed by the United Nations, is believed to be instrumental in rounding up rebels linked with al-Qaida and restoring order in the West African country.

The crisis in Mali should draw the attention of the world community to the new challenges that have emerged in fighting extremist and terrorist groups operating in parts of Africa and West Asia, as the spillover of the Mali crisis is already a reality.

The deadly hostage crisis in Algeria, which resulted in the deaths of 37 foreigners of eight nationalities, presents a ready example of the spillover as most members of the extremist group behind the well-planned attacks came from Mali. The group has threatened more attacks against foreign targets if France does not bring an immediate halt to its military operation in Mali.