German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged more support to fight against drug and people smuggling from Mali, on the first day of a trip to Africa where she will try to work towards curbing future waves of migration and to repair her reputation at home. Mali is among the top 10 countries of origin for migrants arriving in Italy this year, the International Organization for Migration says, and smuggling routes for migrants from other parts of West Africa also cross its desert spaces. Merkel, who visits Niger on Monday and Ethiopia on Tuesday, did not say whether Germany would also provide more helicopters for the United Nations' MINUSMA mission in Mali. She told reporters after meeting President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita: "We have a strong interest in stabilising the country." Germany, France and Italy have said they want to develop particularly closer relationships with Niger and Mali, which they see as important partners in solving the migration issue.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 09, 2016 20:26 UTC