Mali
U.S. army trainers try to build West Africa defences against jihad
OUALLAM, Niger Kicking up clouds of pink Saharan dust, U.S. military trainers impersonated militants, waved flags saying "death to outsiders" and threw smoke grenades toward approaching Nigerien commandos this week, as a surveillance drone hovered overhead.
Militants in U.N. disguise explode car bombs, rockets at Mali bases
BAMAKO Militants disguised as U.N. peacekeepers exploded two suicide car bombs and fired dozens of rockets at the French and United Nations bases in Mali's northern city of Timbuktu on Saturday, killing one and wounding many, Malian authorities said.
German national kidnapped in western Niger - Niger attorney general
NIAMEY Armed men on Wednesday kidnapped a German man in western Niger near the border with Mali, Niger's attorney general said.
France to propose first U.N. targeted sanctions over Mali violence
UNITED NATIONS France will propose the first names to be blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council for violating or obstructing Mali's 2015 peace deal, French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said on Wednesday.
France plots new European military crisis force outside EU
PARIS/BERLIN The French government will in June launch a deployable European military crisis force outside of existing European Union efforts, French Defence Ministry sources said on Wednesday.
Mali war crimes suspect appears before Hague war crimes judges
THE HAGUE An Islamist militant suspected of war crimes in Mali appeared before the International Criminal Court on Wednesday but did not address the allegations against him, instead complaining about the conditions of his detention.
Six found dead in Mali grave had been in military custody - Amnesty
DAKAR Villagers in central Mali said six people found dead in a mass grave last month had been arrested by the military three days earlier, an Amnesty International report said on Tuesday.
Mali war crimes suspect in custody - International Criminal Court
AMSTERDAM The International Criminal Court on Saturday said it has taken into custody at its detention center in the Netherlands a Malian man accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Gunmen kill one, wound others in central Mali hotel attack
BAMAKO Unidentified gunmen killed one person and wounded at least two others late on Wednesday in an attack on a hotel in the central Mali town of Bandiagara regularly frequented by United Nations staff and humanitarian workers, witnesses said.
Spanish police free Mali diplomat's wife held prisoner in consulate
MADRID Spanish police freed the wife of the honorary consul of Mali after a man held her prisoner inside its Barcelona consulate, a Catalan regional police spokeswoman said.