French troops begin ground operation in Mali as African forces arrive

France has deployed more ground troops to Mali in the central town of Diabaly following air strikes against Islamist rebels in the country, bringing the number of french troops to 1,400. That number is expected to rise past two thousand, according to the French government.

Military forces from Nigeria are also expected to arrive today and will be joined by soldiers from Chad, Niger and other African nations. Amnesty International said it’s planning to send investigators to Mali, citing humanitarian concerns for a population already displaced by months of fighting. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said Tuesday the violence is likely to displace more.

“Now, this renewed fighting in Mali, particularly Central and Northern Mali comes at a time when it is estimated that 4.2 million Malians will need humanitarian help in 2013 and this includes some 200 million food insecure people and hundreds of thousands of malnourished children."

For more we’re joined by Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies.