PARIS // France has a history of intervention in Africa, where it was a colonial power for decades and still maintains military sites and has hundreds of troops across the continent.
Mali
January 2013 French helicopter gunships and fighter jets struck at Islamist fighters in Mali at the request of Mali's president, after the rebels began seizing territory well to the south of the strongholds they had held for the previous nine months.
January 2011: Two French hostages were killed on the Niger-Mali border by their captors as French rescue forces closed in.
Somalia
January 2013 A French commando was killed and another missing after a failed raid to rescue an intelligence agent held hostage in Somalia for more than three years.
April 2009 French commandos stormed a sailboat off the Somali coast to rescue hostages held by pirates. One hostage was killed and four were freed in the operation, which was part of an EU-led anti-piracy operation.
Ivory Coast
April 2011 French tanks and helicopters, with support from the United Nations, backed Ivory Coast troops trying to oust Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to leave power after disputed elections. A French armoured advance in Abidjan allowed troops supporting Alassane Ouattara to secure the city and take Gbagbo into custody.
November 2004 French troops fought soldiers from Ivory Coast and French jets all but destroyed the west African country's air force after its warplanes killed at least nine French peacekeepers and an American civilian.
Libya
March 2011 France was a leading force in the Nato operation against forces loyal to the Libyan leader, Muammar Qaddafi. The president at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy, sent French jets to tawrget Qaddafi's forces after pressing for a no-fly zone.
Chad
April 2006 France provided intelligence to government forces of the president, Idriss Deby, who himself received military training in France. The intelligence allowed Deby to keep power against a rebel force that threatened to seize control of the nation rich in oil reserves.