Nigeria Withdrawing Troops From Mali

Problems back home taking priority

Nigeria is withdrawing some of its 1,200 troops fighting Islamic extremists in Mali so they can help deal with an insurgency back home, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said Thursday.

The Nigerians are in a force of 12,600 African troops in Mali under a U.N. peacekeeping mandate that is to take over from French troops. France rushed 4,500 troops to Mali in January to prevent al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremists who had seized the north of the country from marching south to the capital.