A contingent of 100 Togolese soldiers arrived in Mali marking the start of a deployment of thousands of West African soldiers due to fight alongside the Malian and French army against al Qaeda-linked rebels in the north.
"Life is difficult for the people of northern Mali and the international community has the duty to help these people," said Lieutenant Colonel Mawoute Bayassim Gnamkoulamba, a member of the Togolese contingent. "That is why we think that it is necessary for us to protect Mali and we are proud today to fulfill that mission."