Mali: Targeted attack kills two French soldiers

Germany will be the largest provider of troops in Mali following the UN's decision to extend its peace mission in Mali. But one important security measure will be missing after France's troop withdrawal this fall.

Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday (July 3) lifted economic and financial sanctions imposed on Mali, after its military rulers proposed a 24-month transition to democracy and published a new electoral law.

The sanctions have badly hit Mali, with its economy already under severe strain from military coups and a decade-long jihadist insurgency.

Sometimes the best way to send a powerful message is through music, and many in Mali are aware of that. The West African country is home to the Desert Blues, a style of music pioneered by Grammy winner Ali Farka Toure. Now his son is making his own headlines.

Mali puts a stop to rotations of UN peacekeepers from the organisation's MINUSMA mission. Five former members of the Gambia's Intelligence Agency have been sentenced to death for the 2016 killing of a political activist called Solo Sandeng. And three years after the launch of a groundbreaking pilot programme for the world's first malaria vaccine, there is frustration from Africa that more shots aren't yet available.

Mali junta expels UN peacekeeping mission spokesman over tweets. BAMAKO – Mali's military government on Wednesday ordered the spokesman of the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA to leave the country within 72 hours over Tweets about a diplomatic incident with Ivory Coast that has soured relations with the U.N.

Mali's army repels a terrorist attack on its largest military base, located on the outskirts of Bamako. Seven attackers were killed and eight arrested in the assault.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht has announced that Germany's military mission in Mali would be halted until further notice. France is withdrawing a larger force from Mali, as the junta has hired Russian mercenaries.

The French military said the withdrawal of its forces from Mali has been completed after more than eight years of presence in the West African country.

Al Qaeda's affiliate in Mali claimed it has killed four mercenaries from Russia's private military Wagner group in clashes over the weekend.

Mali has requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to stop what it calls French “acts of aggression”, including alleged espionage and violations of sovereignty, and accused France of supporting jihadists.

France withdrew the last of its troops from its former colony on Tuesday. Their exit from Mali coincided with a letter Mali sent to the UN stating that France helped Islamist militants to destabilize the Sahel country.