U.N. Security Council signs off on 12,600 peacekeepers for Mali April 26, 2013 -- Updated 0120 GMT (0920 HKT) A convoy of French army vehicles head toward Gao, Mali on February 7. A U.N. Security Council calls for peacekeepers to takeover in July The force will including 6,000 troops from Chad and other West African nations "We know it's going to be a fairly volatile environment," a U.N. official says (CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council signed off Thursday on a 12,600-member peacekeeping force in Mali that will be authorized "to use all necessary means" to protect civilians and cultural artifacts. "We know it's going to be a fairly volatile environment," Herve Ladsous, the U.N. undersecretary for peacekeeping operations, said. The resolution was proposed by France, which deployed about 4,000 troops to Mali in January to drive out Islamist militants who attempted to take control of the country. The peacekeeping force -- known as the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali -- will take over July 1 and include some 6,000 troops from Chad and other West African nations already providing security in the country, according to the resolution adopted by the Security Council. This is not an enforcement mission. This is not an anti-terrorist operation," Ladsous said. Rather, he said, the mission will help Malian authorities restore constitutional order and governance. Elections there are set for July. Islamic extremists with links to al Qaeda carved out a large portion of northern Mali last year, taking advantage of a chaotic situation after a military coup in March 2012. France took military action this year after the militants began to push into the southern portion of the country. The militants banned music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television, and destroyed historic tombs and shrines in the region. World leaders feared that militants would turn the area into a terrorist haven. The Security Council resolution provides for a peacekeeping force for 12 months. Conflict in Mali January 16, 2013 -- Updated 1538 GMT (2338 HKT) The world is responding to an uprising of Islamist militants, hoping to inject stability in a country once hailed as a model for democracy in Africa. January 24, 2013 -- Updated 2251 GMT (0651 HKT) Nima Elbagir talks with victims of war and displaced people from Gao now living in Mali's capital. January 17, 2013 -- Updated 1120 GMT (1920 HKT) After intense airstrikes against rebel strongholds, French ground forces are moving north to try to dislodge the fighters. January 28, 2013 -- Updated 1540 GMT (2340 HKT) The offensive against Islamist militants gained further ground as French and Malian forces reportedly took control of the airport in ancient Timbuktu. January 15, 2013 -- Updated 1827 GMT (0227 HKT) France intervenes according to doctrine and the pragmatic parameters of circumstance, says the president of the Institut des Ameriques. January 14, 2013 -- Updated 2307 GMT (0707 HKT) CNN's Nima Elbagir reports on the conflict in Mali, how the country got to this point and what the international reaction means. July 27, 2012 -- Updated 0936 GMT (1736 HKT) Islamic radicals linked to al Qaeda have seized northern Mali, and there are widespread concerns that the region could soon become a terrorist haven. January 26, 2013 -- Updated 0325 GMT (1125 HKT) Erin Burnett discusses al Qaeda involvement in the Algeria attack and how the U.S. will deal them in northern Africa. January 28, 2013 -- Updated 1310 GMT (2110 HKT) The United States is intensifying its involvement in Mali, where local and French forces are battling Islamic militants. January 15, 2013 -- Updated 0033 GMT (0833 HKT) CNN's Erin Burnett reports on the situation in northern Mali and its consequences for U.S. homeland security. Watch to find out more. January 12, 2013 -- Updated 2208 GMT (0608 HKT) French troops face fierce combat against Islamist militants in Mali and in Somalia during a failed rescue attempt. February 9, 2013 -- Updated 0315 GMT (1115 HKT) As Mali military braces against Islamist insurgents and French military strikes targeted Islamist rebels, both sides are determined to win. July 4, 2012 -- Updated 1013 GMT (1813 HKT) The Old Mostar Bridge, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, and now the Timbuktu. Once again, culture is under attack, UNESCO's Irina Bokova writes. November 11, 2012 -- Updated 1903 GMT (0303 HKT) African leaders hold an emergency summit to discuss plans to rid Mali of Islamic extremists accused of atrocities.