Mali tells Danish troops to leave European special force

By BABA AHMED and JAN M. OLSEN
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s junta has told Denmark to withdraw its soldiers from northern Mali, saying permission had not been given for them to deploy there. The demand made Wednesday comes only a week after a 90-person Danish contingent had arrived in the volatile West African nation. They were taking part in a one-year deployment with a special European task force known as Takuba, which already has some 600 troops in Mali. The foreign ministry in Copenhagen says that the Danish contribution had been approved by the current Malian government led by coup leader Col. Assimi Goita. The Danish contingent in question also includes a surgical team.