France denied any involvement in negotiations to obtain the release of four hostages in Mali, including French citizen Sophie Petronin.
The country’s defence minister Florence Parly said on Monday that Malian authorities had led the talks with extremists that also led to the release of Soumaila Cisse, a local politician.
“Negotiations for his release were opened several months ago by the Malian authorities at the time and the new Malian authorities have marked their determination to make them succeed,” she said.
The release of the hostages held in Mali, including Ms Petronin, who was kidnapped in Gao in 2016, has caused some controversy because of the simultaneous release of militant Islamists held by the government.
“The decision to release extremists in particular belongs to the Malian authorities alone, who deemed it essential to obtain the release of Soumaila Cisse,” Ms Parly said.
The French defence minister said that her country would continue its operations against extremists operating in and around Mali. France has 5,100 troops stationed in the Sahel as part of Operation Barkhane.
"Our determination is intact to continue this fight against extremism and terrorism in the region," Ms Parly said. “There is no ambiguity on [the French] side and our Malian and Sahelian partners know it."
Ms Petronin, 75, was released from captivity in the Mali desert last week and arrived home in France on Friday.
She was greeted as she touched down in her home country by her family and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Ms Petronin was one of four hostages being held by militants. She was kidnapped in northern Mali in 2016 while running a charity for malnourished and orphaned children.
France, the former colonial power in Mali, has been heavily involved in the country since its 2013 intervention against an insurgency in the north.
The 2012 Tuareg uprising, which sparked a military coup in Bamako, was hijacked by Al Qaeda-linked extremists, creating a proto-state centred in Timbuktu.
Although a French-led operation eventually regained control of Timbuktu, instability spread to the Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger.
Dozens of French troops have been killed in clashes with extremist groups that have ties to ISIS and Al Qaeda.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Getting%20there
%3Cp%3EGiven%20its%20remote%20location%2C%20getting%20to%20Borneo%20can%20feel%20daunting%20even%20for%20the%20most%20seasoned%20traveller.%20But%20you%20can%20fly%20directly%20from%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20to%20Sandakan%20and%20Sepilok%20is%20only%20half%20an%20hour%20away%20by%20taxi.%20Sandakan%20has%20plenty%20of%20accommodation%20options%2C%20while%20Sepilok%20has%20a%20few%20nature%20lodges%20close%20to%20the%20main%20attractions.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
