French defense minister visits northern Mali

By Baba Ahmed
Published April 26, 2013 4:00am ET
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French defense minister visits northern Mali
FILE - This March 8, 2013 photo provided by the French Army Communications Audiovisual Office (ECPAD) shows French soldiers patrolling the Mettatai region in northern Mali. The Security Council unanimously approved a new U.N. peacekeeping force for Mali on Thursday, April 25, 2013 to help restore democracy and stabilize the northern half of the country which was controlled by Islamist jihadists until a France-led military operation ousted them three months ago. (AP Photo/ECPAD, Arnaud Roine) | Arnaud Roine

GAO, Mali (AP) — France’s defense minister reaffirmed Friday that his country will keep 1,000 troops in Mali to fight radical Islamic militants even after the arrival later this year of more than 12,000 U.N. peacekeepers.

In a visit to the volatile northeastern city of Gao, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian addressed reporters a day after the U.N. Security Council authorized the deployment of the peacekeeping force.

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