The two were speaking in Bamako during the opening of a conference to harmonise the operational concept of the international force for Mali.

Camara said that none of the neighbouring countries which include Mauritania, Algeria and Niger, was opposed to a military intervention in the north of Mali.

Camara said that his country was ready to negotiate with the armed groups which are Malian, but which do not commit unacceptable abuses against the population and which accept national unity and territorial integrity and which also accept the republican and secular characteristics of the state.

"Once these fundamentals are accepted, we are ready to negotiate with all armed groups," he said.

At the same time, the special representative of ECOWAS to Mali, Aboudou Toure, expressed the sub-regional body's support for a military intervention to end the crisis in northern Mali.

"Majority of the partners who have joined us, have done so because they understand that war is inevitable. It's clear that Algeria is supporting us and therefore we have no opposition in our push for use of force," the ECOWAS Commission representative said.

Toure said that if the ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis through dialogue fail, ECOWAS will approach the United Nations Security Council asking for authorization to use force in northern Mali.