French Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian on Tuesday unveiled that a UN-backed military intervention in Mali would be launched in a few weeks to help restore political stability in the west African county.

"(The military operation) is a matter of weeks not months," Le Drian told state-run TV channel France2.

"The Sahel region becomes a terrorist sanctuary since the spring and the dislocation of Mali," he added.

The French minister's remarks came after the UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to give West African countries and the African regional bodies 45 days to offer a "detailed and actionable" military plan to help local forces to oust Islamist insurgents that control the country's northern region.

Urging a swift action to end the Malian crisis in line with the UN Security Council resolution, Paris said to support "logistically" the military operation in the country and will not send troops.

Mali, a former French colony, has been struggling to stay as one united nation since a military coup in March, when hardline Islamists and Tuareg rebel forces seeking an independent homeland took advantage of the chaos and seized control of the north.

The Islamists subsequently forced out the Tuareg nationalists and took control of the region.