French warplanes have
bombed rebel bases and depots in remote parts of northern Mali to try to
cut off supply routes, France's foreign minister says.
Laurent Fabius told France Inter radio that the rebels would not be able to stay long without fresh supplies.
Thirty jets struck on Sunday around Tessalit amid fears the rebels could re-group in the mountainous region.
In Paris, US Vice-President Joe Biden backed plans for an African-led force and eventual UN operation in Mali.
Speaking alongside French President Francois Hollande, who
visited Mali at the weekend, Mr Biden said they had agreed that African
troops should take over from French forces "as quickly as reasonably
possible", before the UN assumes overall command.
Efforts must then be made "as quickly as is prudent [to] transition that mission to the United Nations," Mr Biden said.
Mr Hollande said the French-led mission would continue, with
the aim of restoring Mali's "territorial integrity" before peacekeeping
operations began.
Kidal talks
Speaking before his president's appearance at the Elysee
Palance, Mr Fabius said that Sunday's air strikes had been aimed at
"destroying the bases and fuel depots" of the rebels.
"If you look at the map, they have taken refuge in the north and in the north-east," Mr Fabius said.
"But they can stay there for long only if they have ways to
get supplies. So, in a very efficient manner, the army is stopping
that."
Mr Fabius would not say whether the air
strikes were aimed at preparing for a new ground assault, but said
transition to African forces - and withdrawal from Timbuktu - "could
happen very fast".
The French launched their intervention in Mali on 11 January
as Islamist militants moved south and threatened the capital, Bamako.
Since then, the militants have been driven from population centres in the north and east.
Kidal remains the only major town not in the control of French and Malian forces.
French troops are at the airport in Kidal, but rebels from a
Tuareg group who want their own homeland in northern Mali - the MNLA -
still control the town itself.
Malian Interim President Dioncounda Traore has offered to hold talks with the MNLA in order to help secure Kidal.
Tessalit is about 200km (125 miles) north of Kidal and is a
gateway to the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains, where rebels are believed to
have sought refuge after being forced from the main population centres.
It is thought the mountainous areas could provide perfect hiding places for the militants.
It is believed that several French civilian hostages are being
held by militants in the area, making the situation even more delicate.
On Saturday Mr Hollande said it would be wrong to assume the
military operation was over, while Mr Traore said it would be difficult
to completely rid the country of Islamists.
French withdrawal
Meanwhile, aid agency Oxfam has warned that food and fuel
supplies to some parts of northern Mali are starting to dry up as many
predominantly Arab and Tuareg traders have fled fearing reprisal
attacks.
Oxfam said prices in Gao had risen by more than 20% since the French military intervention.
Philippe Conraud, Oxfam country director in Mali, said if the
traders did not return soon, it could become "very difficult for people
to get enough food to feed their families".
Reports have also emerged that a senior figure in the main
militant Islamist movement - Ansar Dine - has been captured near the
Algerian border by a rival separatist group.
Malian security sources quoted by AFP news agency named the
man as Mohamed Moussa Ag Mouhamed, third in command of the group. The
report cannot be verified.
Mr Hollande received a warm welcome on Saturday as he visited
the northern desert city of Timbuktu, recaptured by French and Malian
troops a week ago.
A total of 3,500 French troops are currently in Mali.
Nearly 2,000 army personnel from Chad and Niger are helping
consolidate the recent gains. A further 6,000 troops will be deployed as
part of the UN-backed African-led International Support Mission to Mali
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