The democratic Union is considering sending a delegation to Mali in coming weeks to decide whether to create a counter - terrorism force . There has been pressure to provide greater help to militants in fighting Islamist extremists linked with al - Qaida . Although military operations continue , militants are becoming increasingly active . Critics have argued that a lack of counter - terrorism ability has broadly undermined the ability of UN peacekeepers to address the problem and bring peace to Mali . The Security Council discussed the possibility of expanding the UN mandate to militants last week , but some analysts argued it is already sufficiently robust . As a result , the African Union is now pursuing its own initiative , potentially offering an alternative route to better security .
The African Union is considering sending a mission to Mali in coming weeks to decide whether to create a counter-terrorism force. There has been pressure to provide greater help to Mali in fighting Islamist extremists linked with al-Qaida. Although military operations continue, militants are becoming increasingly active. Critics have argued that a lack of counter-terrorism ability has broadly undermined the ability of UN peacekeepers to address the problem and bring peace to Mali. The Security Council discussed the issue of expanding the UN mandate to Mali last week, but some members argued it is already sufficiently robust. As a result, the African Union is now pursuing its own initiative, potentially offering an alternative route to better security.