UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. peacekeeping chief in Mali appealed on Thursday for a quicker deployment of troops to boost the force, which is operating at half its mandated strength of 11,200, so it can better tackle extremist groups in the north of the country.
Bert Koenders said 90 percent of the needed peacekeepers had been committed by countries including China, El Salvador and the Netherlands, but the deployment had to be sped up ahead of a planned withdrawal of some French troops by the start of summer.
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