Mali: Interim President Warns of Relentless War Against Rebels

It seems another war is brewing in the West African soil once again. As soon as the new interim president Dioncounda Traore took control over Mali on Thursday, he sent a warning signal against the Tuareg and Islamist rebels.

"I am aware of being the President of a country at war. The rebels must stop the pillaging, the rapes. They must leave the cities that they have occupied. If they don't, we will not hesitate to wage a total and relentless," AFP quoted Traore as saying.

Promising to keep the muddled country intact, Traore added that the country will regain their territorial integrity and also kick out their country all those invaders who bring despair and misery.

Splitting the country into two, the Tuareg rebels declared independence on the northern part of Mali on 6 April.

The former parliament speaker, who took oath of office in a ceremony, is also expected to organise elections in the country in 40 days. However, the deadline seems unlikely given the current situation at north.

Some of the country's important politicians, who were locked up since the coup, were also released immediately after handling over the power to the new president.

The G8 Foreign Ministers meet in Washington also expressed a deep concern over the present situation. "They (Ministers) expressed their deep concern for the deteriorating situation in northern Mali and the implications the current crisis has for the wider Sahel region, including the impending humanitarian crisis," their statement said.

Continuous reports from the region suggest that civilians are being killed, robbed, raped and forced to flee. "Reports also suggest that tensions between different ethnic groups are being stirred up, increasing the risk of sectarian violence," said the UN High Commissioner for Human rights Navi Pillay in a statement.

In addition to that, women and non-Muslims are also being threatened in the northern part. There are also allegations of killing by the extremist groups.

The international community fears a humanitarian crisis in the northern parts of Mali as the rebels continue to loot food and medical supplies across the drought-hit region.