Malian President to France to seek political and financial support for peace process

PARIS – Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta seeking political and financial support for the country’s peace process during an official two-day visit to France.
Keita met with French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday before a dinner at the Elysée Palace to celebrate the first state visit of a Malian president since the country’s independence from France in 1960.
On Thursday, an international conference for the economic recovery and development of Mali to be held at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
“It is very important for us to be able to call on the international financial community to invest heavily in Mali,” Hollande told a news conference.
France will release a total of € 360 million ($ 408 million) of loans and grants in Mali in 2017, Holland said. The amount includes 80 million euros (90.7 million dollars) to the north of the troubled country.
France launched a military operation in Mali in 2013 to expel Islamic extremists who had captured the northern half of the country.
About 1,000 French troops remain in the country as attacks continue in the north and move further south.