Mali accuses France of colluding with Islamic extremists

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s foreign minister is accusing France of having colluded with the Islamic extremists that it spent nearly a decade fighting until its troops departed earlier this week. The French Embassy in Mali has sharply denied the allegation, saying that French troops spent nine years trying to improve security in the volatile country. Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop made the allegations in a letter sent to the president of the U.N. Security Council, asking for help to stop what it called French acts of aggression. The last French troops from Operation Barkhane left Mali on Monday after relations sharply deteriorated with the Malian leaders who seized power two years ago.