By Sara Malm PUBLISHED: 12:25 EST, 11 January 2013 | UPDATED: 12:25 EST, 11 January 2013 President Francois Hollande has promised French help to Mali after an appeal from the West African nation for international help to counter an offensive by al-Qaeda-linked militants. The French president said today that the country would not accept the ‘blatant aggression that is threatening Mali's very existence.’ Mali's government appealed for urgent military aid from France on Thursday after Islamist fighters controlling large areas in the north encroached further south, seizing the town of Konna in the centre of the country. Promising help: French president Francois Hollande said he would not accept the 'blatant aggression that is threatening Mali's very existence'
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President Francois Hollande promised help to Mali in speech today
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He said France would not accept the threat to Mali's 'very existence'
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Militant rebels linked to al-Qaeda seized central town of Konna yesterday
Western powers are worried the alliance of al Qaeda-linked militants that seized the northern two-thirds of @placeholder in April will seek to use the vast desert zone as a launchpad for international attacks.