Mauritania rules out military intervention in Mali

Atar (Mauritania) - Independent Maghreb Press Agency - Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ruled out Monday sending troops to Mali, where the embattled government has lost control of the north to Al-Qaeda-linked militias. 
"There will be no Mauritanian military intervention in Mali," he said overnight at a local forum in the northern town of Atar marking the third anniversary of his rise to power. 
"The problem there is very complex and we don't have the solution," he said, adding that his country, which borders Mali, would take part in the international community's efforts to restore peace. 
The entire northern half of Mali has been occupied since late March by rebels with links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which has also carried out attacks in Mauritania. 
Abdel Aziz warned against "the terrorist risk which will grow and can be a catastrophe for the entire world." He said the first step will be for Mali to have a strong and representative government in Bamako. 
The embattled West African nation is currently under the stewardship of a transition government which took over from a military junta that ousted the previous regime on 22 March.