France Says Expects Force to be Used in Northern Mali

Force will probably have to be used to dislodge Islamists from northern Mali, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Thursday, although interim leaders must first take control of the south.

"Once the rule of law is re-established in the south, one must look at the north, meaning that at some point it's probable there will be use of force," Fabius told journalists in Paris.

"Mali is a very serious case because it's the first time that terrorists have taken over major cities and are perhaps in a position to take control of a state," Fabius said.

Tuareg rebels launched a rebellion in the north of the country in January, quickly overwhelming a demoralized and poorly equipped Malian army.

A Bamako coup only worsened the situation as the unmanned north became easy prey and fell to rebel groups in a matter of days.

Islamist fighters from Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) backed by MUJAO, an offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), appeared fighting on the flanks of the Tuareg rebels whom they have now routed.

Interim authorities who took over from the junta in the south have proved powerless to deal with the occupation, and West African mediators have given them until July 31 to create a "unity government" with a clear timeline to exit the crisis.