The UN Security Council decided unanimously on Thursday to send a peacekeeping force to Mali to help the government there face Islamist militants in the north and restore stability, dpa reported. The force, composed of more than 12,000 troops and police, is expected to replace the 6,000-strong African Union-led mission by July. The African forces had been assisting Mali since last year. France wants to pull most of some 4,000 troops deployed in January at the request of the Malian government to help stop a militant push toward the capital Bamako. The militants took advantage of a military coup in March 2012 to take over the north. The resolution adopted by the 15-nation council authorizes the UN force to take "active steps" against rebelious forces in the north in addition to training a Malian police force.
