Mali to ‘recruit 10,000 more soldiers’

Addis Ababa, January 30, 2020 (FBC) – The prime minister of Mali has announced plans for a major military recruitment drive in order to address the growing threat from jihadist groups.

Boubou Cisse said the plan was to hire 10,000 new soldiers in the coming months. The Malian military is thought to have around 20,000 troops.

In recent months dozens of soldiers have been killed by Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Twenty members of the security forces died over the weekend during an attack on an army camp.

Violence continues to spread in Mali, despite the presence of around 20,000 UN troops and French soldiers.

Source: BBC