VOA慢速英語:High-Level Delegations Meet for Talks on Mali Crisis

[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, this is IN THE NEWS in Special English. [00:16.41]High-level delegations met in Bamako, Mali for talks [00:23.58]on the crisis in the country's north. Representatives from the United Nations, [00:31.03]African Union and the Economic Community of West African States [00:35.36]met with Malian leaders to develop a plan. [00:42.72]Mali's temporary president Dioncounda Traore urged representatives [00:47.05]to act immediately to deal with the situation. [00:53.22]He promised that the government would cooperate and work together [00:59.59]with forces assisting in ousting the Islamic militants from the north. [01:04.97]Mali fell into a crisis in March, twenty-twelve, [01:10.74]after the military ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure. [01:17.19]Shortly after, Islamic militants with ties to al-Qaida [01:22.15]seized control of the north. The militants want to enforce [01:26.18]a severe version of Islamic law there. [01:32.55]Recent reports from the north have documented human rights abuses [01:36.99]by the militants. They perform public executions, [01:42.93]use children as soldiers and force women into sex work. [01:48.47]Women in many towns are forced to cover their faces [01:52.66]and are banned from appearing in public with men. [01:57.83]Smoking and music are also prohibited. [02:05.25]The U.N. has been calling on ECOWAS to provide a more detailed plan [02:09.93]for its proposed military action in northern Mali. [02:16.04]Last week, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution [02:21.23]clearing the way for deployment of the ECOWAS force. [02:28.96]It gave African leaders forty-five days to create a military intervention plan. [02:34.58]The newly appointed chairperson of the African Union Commission, [02:42.29]Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, said she would deal first with Mali after being sworn in. [02:47.83]In Bamako, she said it was her first official trip [02:54.95]as a messenger of solidarity from the African continent to the Malian people. [03:01.87]"I also want to highlight the AU's deep concern about the prevailing situation [03:06.40]and the AU's determination to do everything in our power [03:11.34]to help the people of Mali to find a speedy resolution [03:15.77]of the overlapping crises in their country." [03:20.54]The U.N. Security Council will hold a second vote [03:27.71]to approve or disapprove a military intervention plan once it is created. [03:33.25]However, many people in Mali oppose foreign intervention. [03:39.08]Hundreds of Malians marched in Bamako this week to protest [03:43.26]the idea of ECOWAS' military deployment. [03:49.08]The protest was organized by supporters of former army members [03:55.55]who ousted the government. Many Malians say they are concerned [04:03.45]that the army is disorganized and poorly equipped to take back the north alone. [04:10.89]Last week, thousands of Malians marched in support of ECOWAS troops in Mali. [04:15.42]A Malian living in the northern city of Gao [04:19.15]says military intervention is necessary. [04:26.90]He also says the people in the north have suffered enough, [04:31.83]and it is time for war in order to clear the path. [04:37.01]There is also concern that military intervention [04:44.51]could push Islamic militants and more refugees into neighboring countries. [04:50.15]And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, [04:53.99]written by Kim Varzi. I'm Steve Ember.

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