Ethnic Tuareg rebels took control of Mali's vast north after a coup in March, but the Tuaregs have since been driven out by Islamist rebels who want to impose a strict version of Islamic law. An estimated 300,000 people have fled the region as al-Qaida linked groups impose their rule.
The proposal for the intervention force would need approval from the U.N. Security Council, which France leads starting Wednesday. Ouattara just ended a visit to Paris and a meeting with President Francois Hollande, and suggested in the interview that the French presidency would facilitate passage of a resolution.
