The majority of respondents to a Press TV poll believe Mali’s abandoned natural resources, including gold and uranium reserves, could be the main reason behind the French-led war.

The opinion poll found that 63 percent (10,843 respondents) of the 17,287 respondents believe the main motive behind the France-led war in Mali is untapped resources of the West African country.

Some 26 percent of the respondents (4,508 participants) said France seeks to regain its colonial power in Africa.

Only 11 percent of the respondents (1,963 individuals) said France launched a war on Mali because the European country wants to combat terrorism.

Thousands of people in Mali have been forced to flee their homes amid the French war, which involved some 3,500 troops on the ground supported by warplanes, helicopters and armored vehicles.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said more than 5,000 Malian refugees have arrived in Mauritania alone since January 11, when France launched the war under the pretext of halting the advance of the fighters in the African country.

The United States, Canada, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark have already said they would support the French war in Mali.