Mali - Why Are We Lending France And Mali A Ferry?

[DTCwordfan]

On the BBC R4 News - apparently we are to lend France and Mali a Roll-on/Roll-off Ferry.

Isn't the country landlocked?

Or has the MoD really lost the plot?

[boxtops]

Well, it's not quite P&O Dover-Calais, but it works....

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4118/4961201336_2f2a322b58_z.jpg

[Zeuhl]

/Discussions are also taking place on the possible use of a British roll-on, roll-off ferry to ship heavy armour from France to the region./

I don't know

Down to Dakar then a little trip across Senegal?

[jno]

something like that, it seems, Zeuhl

Britain has offered a roll-on, roll-off ferry to help transport French armour to Mali by sea, landing on the African coast.

(from the Guardian)

[Buenchico]

>>>Isn't the country landlocked?

Yes, it's landlocked but
(a) it's got river ports such as Koulikoro ; and
(b) neighbouring countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire are keen to see stability in Mali, so they'll allow ports such as Abidjan to be used.

[Zeuhl]

Up the river, into The Heart of Darkness

How exciting, Joseph Conrad meets P&O

[DTCwordfan]

That's what I thought, Chris, but when I heard the News, I thought that this is so wonderfully daft. Abidjan would be the choice I suspect, or Dakar. Conakry and Freetown are too politically embroiled or lacking the roads in the east of their countries.

Zeuhl's comment gets best answer as it triggers the imagination....dear old Joseph!

[stewey]

Slightly off topic, but not much, this book is a great read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimi_and_Toutou_Go_Forth:_The_Bizarre_Battle_for_Lake_Tanganyika

[stewey]

Don't read the entire article if you intend to buy the book: just get the name of the book and publisher.

[DTCwordfan]

thanks for that, stewey

[Gromit]

The fight in Mali is a fight with al qaeda. Essentially we do not want them to get a foothold in North Africa / South Meditteranean.

Would you be happy for al qaeda to have bases a few miles from Gibralta?

[boxtops]

I read another book about that expedition a couple of years ago - can't remember the title, but it was fascinating, about how the boats were transported.

[jno]

ah, the British in Africa... they fought a war with Zanzibar in 1896; it lasted 38 minutes. They sank the Sultan's boat, replaced him with a more pro-British ruler, and sent him a bill for the shells they'd used.

[DTCwordfan]

bit like when they went into Naples when the city had taken control of some Brit's house, within two days, two Royal Navy gun boats standing off and threatening to shell the city.

[anotheoldgit]

Would help if the op provided a news link

http://panafricannews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/uk-set-to-deploy-troops-to-mali.html

/// Meanwhile British Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said London has offered to transport French vehicles and equipment from France via using a British roll-on roll-off ferry. ///

Perhaps the ferry is to transport equipment from France to Algeria across the Mediterranean Sea?