Britain has flown 120 Ghanaian troops to Bamako to participate in the African intervention in Mali, the Ministry of Defence said Thursday.
The same Royal Air Force C17 transport plane that has been used to help French troops get on the ground quickly to drive Islamist militants out of northern Mali was used to lift the soldiers to Mali’s capital.
Members of Ghana’s Engineering Company 1 took a fleet of vehicles with them and also materials for building accommodation and roads.
“The company will play a very specific role,” said Ghanaian military spokesman Colonel M’Bawine Atintande, cited by Britain’s Ministry of Defence.
“We expect the forces to be there as long as it takes to solve the problem. Normally we stay in the six months and then rotate.
“Any problem in any part of Africa is as much a concern to us as it is to them. And so therefore it is very important that we should be in Mali to help them solve their problems.”
France intervened militarily at the request of the Malian government in mid-January as Islamist militants advanced towards Bamako from the northern regions they have held since mid-2012.
African countries have also pledged troops.
Britain has contributed more than 300 troops in training and support roles, as well as offering logistical help to other nations, although the government has stressed it will not send ground troops.
British armed forces minister Andrew Robathan, on a two-day visit to Bamako, said: “We have said we don’t want to have troops on the ground but we are helping the French effort and we’re helping the African effort as well.
“We’re going to help train Malians with the EU training mission too.”
Britain airlifts Ghanaian troops into Mali
