French war on Mali may lead to humanitarian tragedy, Egypt says

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has reiterated Cairo’s opposition to the French war on Mali, saying the conflict in the African country should be resolved peacefully.

“We reject the international intervention in Mali which will lead to great consequences and disasters that will make the situation so much worse than before,” Morsi said in a televised speech on Thursday.

The Egyptian president also warned that “such interventions will lead to a new humanitarian tragedy.”

France launched a war on Mali on January 11 under the pretext of halting the advance of the fighters controlling the northern parts of the country.

Also on January 21, Morsi voiced his opposition to the French war in Mali, arguing that the unrest “will fuel conflict in the region.”

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

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also pledged to support the war by sending 5,800 soldiers to Mali.

Some political analysts believe that Mali’s abandoned natural resources, including gold and uranium reserves, could be one of the reasons behind the French war.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that the war in Mali could leave at least 700,000 people homeless.