Germany is ready to commit troops to a United Nations mission to Mali, dpa cited German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle as saying Saturday during a visit to the Ghanaian capital Accra. Noting that the German parliament would have the last word on the actual deployment, Westerwelle added that the two previous engagements in Mali allowed up to 330 German troops, mainly for logistical help and EU training missions. The UN Security Council decided last Thursday to send a peacekeeping force to Mali to help the government face militants in the north and restore stability. 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 is pulling out most of its around 4,000 troops deployed in January. Westerwelle is in Ghana on the first leg of a five-day Africa tour that will also see him visit South Africa and Mozambique. -- SPA 19:59 LOCAL TIME 16:59 GMT تغريد
