Carthage — A communiqué released by official spokesman for the Presidency Adnan Mansar, warned on Wednesday against any "not well thought out military intervention in Mali," which "could turn the region into a hotbed of tension at the borders of Maghreb states and threaten their security."

"Tunisia considers that all peaceful options should be exhausted to settle the crisis in Mali before launching a war in the region," the Presidency says, adding that the point is to make a distinction between terrorist groups and legitimate claims for development and local autonomy of the population in northern Mali and resolve pending issues as part of national consensus.

The Presidency of the Republic calls for dialogue with all the forces involved in the Malian crisis and urges not to provide a cover to extremist groups that would legitimize their activities.

"Central authorities must be supported and their defence capacities increased to enable them to regain control of Mali's territory and get it unified on bases ensuring the security of the whole region" reads the communiqué.

This communiqué has been released after the actions started at regional and international levels ahead of a military intervention in Northern Mali that has been controlled for months by extremist groups (Al Qaïda in the Islamic Maghreb) and armed groups (tuaregs) claiming separation from Bamako central authority.