Mali turns to Russia, away from France, to battle insurgents threatening state
Mali has signalled that it plans to maintain strong ties with Russia to tackle its security problems.
During a trip to Moscow, the foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, said the very existence of the Malian state was under threat.
He added that with instability continuing, Russia was a trusted ally who could be relied upon.
"Whenever Mali has been in difficult situations since our independence, Russia has always been with us. Today we are in a difficult situation and we are still turning to this friend so that they can help us out," Mr Diop said.
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, dismissed French concerns about Russian mercenaries in Mali.
He said Russia would continue to supply the country with arms and ammunition.
There's increasing hostility in Mali to the presence of French forces, who've been trying to quell an Islamist insurgency for the past eight years. France has started to withdraw troops.
Source: BBCÂ
