A French soldier and more than 20 Islamist rebels were killed during what appeared to be the first clashes in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountain range where militants have taken refuge in northern Mali, French sources said.
[link to tvnz.co.nz]

Pirates who kidnapped six foreign sailors from an oil servicing vessel off the Nigerian coast on Sunday are demanding 200 million naira for their release, police said on Tuesday.
[link to news.yahoo.com]

France has urged its citizens to leave northern Cameroon after Tuesday’s kidnapping of a family of seven. Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian blamed Nigerian armed Islamist group Boko Haram.
[link to www.english.rfi.fr]

Malian authorities are investigating claims of torture, killings and reprisals by its own soldiers against minorities suspected of links to Islamist militants — accusations that threaten to jeopardize international support for fighting terrorism in the Sahara.
[link to abcnews.go.com]

An Unexpected Mission for France’s Defense Minister
[link to www.nytimes.com]