In this file photo taken on January 2, 2015 shows French soldiers of the detachment of the Operation Barkhane standing outside the French base in the northern Malian city of Gao. - Three French and Estonian troops were wounded on July 22, 2019 when a car bomb exploded at the entrance to an international peace-keeping base in the Malian town of Gao, France's military said.
Mali is struggling to quell unrest that began in 2012 in the north and spread to other parts of the country, despite aid from French and UN forces. Last week Washington imposed sanctions on an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group in Mali that carried out deadly attacks on the country’s armed forces.