President Francois Hollande has said French troops in Mali are there to do much more than stopping rebels from taking Bamako.
The French leader told press on a visit to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (15 January) that: "We have one objective - it's to make sure that when we leave, when we end the intervention, Mali is safe, has legitimate authorities, an electoral process and there are no more terrorists threatening its territory."
The task he outlined is a big one.
Mali is nominall...
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Already a member? Login hereAndrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.
Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.