Friday afternoon, French Foreign Ministry urged French nationals to leave its former colony, due to risks of escalating military tensions in the west African country.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said later Friday that French troops in Mali is aiming to help the country stop advance of terrorists. "We need to stop the advance of terrorists, otherwise Mali will falls in their hands," Fabius told journalists at a press conference.
The minister said that Paris military commitment to help quash Islamist rebels in Malian territory will help to release French hostages kidnapped in the Sahel region where seven French nationals are already in the hands of kidnappers.
"We must have in mind that the abductors are the same groups who move to south Mali, thus preventing them and responding with an extremely firm way we are serving the same cause : release of hostages," French top diplomat told reporters.
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