A senior UN official in West Africa has expressed serious concern over the humanitarian and human rights situation in northern Mali occupied by rebel groups.

"Owing to the prevailing situation, the UN secretary general asked me to make a regional tour to sensitize the concerned parties, especially the Malians whom I will meet soon, on the need to find a solution to the complex Malian crisis," according to the representative of the UN secretary general in West Africa, Said Djinnit.

The official made the remarks after meeting with Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore on Thursday in the country's capital Ouagadougou.

He said he had come to discuss with Compaore, the mediator for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), about the efforts being made to resolve the Malian crisis.

The envoy for UN chiefBan Ki-moonreiterated support for Compaore's mediation efforts in the Malian crisis.

He called for the holding of talks between Malians, especially between the rebels in the north and the representatives of the Malian government.

Djinnit also insisted on the need to quickly form an inclusive government in Mali as had been proposed by ECOWAS.

Regarding the deployment of an ECOWAS standby force, Djinnit said it is upon the Malians. "ECOWAS and the international community will only come in to support their needs and efforts," he said before heading to the Malian capital Bamako.