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WORLD NEWS Saturday 20 May 2017

Macron calls for countries’ support in fighting extremism

YACOUBA OMAR Barkhane has about 4,000
Associated Press soldiers in Mali, Niger,
GAO, Mali (AP) — On Chad, Burkina Faso and
his first official trip out- Mauritania. The eastern
side Europe, new French city Macron visited, Gao,
President Emmanuel Ma- is home of the permanent
cron on Friday highlighted French military base in
his determination to crush Mali, with 1,600 troops.
extremism but said “other Gao also is where a suicide
countries can do more” to attack on a Malian army
help protect Europe from camp killed more than 75
the threat. He was visiting people in January. That
France’s largest overseas attack, claimed by the
military operation, which is al-Qaida-linked al-Mour-
combating jihadist groups abitoun extremist group,
in West Africa. happened just days after
The region’s terror threat is former French president
“clearly a risk for Europe,” Francois Hollande visited
he said, vowing that French the city. The victims were
troops would remain in soldiers and former fight-
Mali until the extremists are ers trying to stabilize the
eliminated. region after a 2015 agree-
At a joint news confer- ment with the government.
ence with Malian coun- French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd right, poses with soldiers as he visits the troops of Opera- The attack was a major
terpart Ibrahim Boubacar tion Barkhane, France’s largest overseas military operation, in Gao, northern Mali, Friday, May 19, blow to peace efforts in
Keita, Macron asked Ger- 2017. northern Mali, where rival
many to provide more sup- Associated Press groups have been vying
port to French-led efforts for control or outright inde-
to eradicate the extremist The German government operate in the area,” he Most of the West African pendence.
groups. He said German earlier this year approved said. extremist groups France is “I don’t think Macron’s ar-
Chancellor Angela Merkel an expansion of the coun- Macron said he has “no combating trace their ori- rival will change anything
told him she backs the try’s military deployment doubt” the cooperation gins to al-Qaida’s North Af- to our daily life,” Ousmane
idea during a meeting in in Mali, with Berlin sending will continue, adding that rica branch. Maiga, a resident of Gao,
Berlin earlier this week. more helicopters to sup- he will discuss defense and Mali’s president expressed told The Associated Press.
“France de facto ensures port the U.N. peacekeep- security issues with Presi- his gratitude toward “Macron comes to see the
Europe’s security, in Mali ing mission there and rais- dent Donald Trump during France for its military in- French soldiers but not us.”
and in other theaters of ing the maximum number a working lunch at a NATO tervention that began in Another resident, Mo-
operations. But other coun- of German soldiers from summit in Brussels on Thurs- 2013 after extremist groups hamed Gaiga, said he
tries can do more, in terms 650 to 1,000. day. overran the country’s vast wants Macron “to put an
of backup, in terms of de- The French leader also Macron repeatedly northern region. The groups end to the massacre of
velopment (and) partner- praised a “crucial” and pledged ahead of the were quickly pushed from Malians. France has the
ships for equipment,” Ma- “exemplary” intelligence- May 7 election that fight- strongholds but remain a military and political pow-
cron said. sharing relationship with ing terror would be his pri- deadly threat. er to bring back peace in
“I want to strengthen those the United States for mili- ority, after multiple attacks “The road is long ... but we Mali, but we observe that
European partnerships, in tary operations in Africa’s in France since 2015 that are going forward and we even groups that signed
particular with Germany,” Sahel region. Without it, killed more than 230 peo- will succeed,” Keita said. the peace agreement are
he added. “we would not be able to ple. France’s Operation still fighting each other.”q

Italy makes 12 vaccines mandatory for school-age children

MILAN (AP) — The Ital- lowed an intense public ference that the new rules tory starting this September not be accepted into nurs-
ian government on Friday debate over vaccines after aimed to combat “anti-sci- for children attending Ital- ery or pre-schools without
made 12 vaccines man- a measles outbreak and entific theories” that have ian pre-schools through the proof of vaccinations, while
datory for children attend- political sniping over ac- lowered Italy’s vaccination second year of high school. parents of children legally
ing school up to age 16 in cusations that the popu- rates in recent years. Other required vaccines in- obliged to attend school
an effort to combat what list 5-Star movement had The government approved clude tetanus, diphtheria, will face hefty fines for non-
it characterizes as misinfor- emboldened anti-vaccine making 12 vaccines, in- polio and hepatitis B. compliance. The certifica-
mation about vaccines. advocates. Premier Paolo cluding measles, rubella Health Minister Beatrice tion will be required every
The new measures fol- Gentiloni told a news con- and chickenpox, manda- Lorenzin said children will year, she said.q