Russia’s Africa envoy to attend AU summit on Mali, Sudan

The summit will tackle the ongoing Mali crisis and an anti-terror operation in this West African country torn by a rebel uprising, and appraise the status of the Sudan peace settlement.

The emergency meeting will also evaluate the ongoing deployment of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA).

On the sidelines of the African summit, Mr. Margelov said he was to meet delegations of officials from South Sudan, Mali, Uganda, Somaliland and Congo and submit Vladimir Putin’s message to Congo's President Joseph Kabila.

From Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, the Russian envoy will proceed to Sudan, Niger and Morocco.

Putin talks Mali with Russia’s Security Council

Russian President Putin has held a regular meeting with the country’s Security Council, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

The consultations covered social, economic and foreign agendas. Participants shared their take on the conflict in Mali and discussed prospects for economic cooperation with several countries, who turned to Russia for financial aid, Mr. Peskov said.

The meeting was attended by the heads of Russia’s bicameral parliament, Valentina Matvienko and Sergei Naryshkin, as well as by Putin’s chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, Security Council’s secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, interior security chief Alexander Bortnikov and spy chief Mikhail Fradkov.

Voice of Russia, Interfax, TASS

Mali troops advance on rebel-held Gao

Government forces advanced into northern Mali on Friday and reached the town of Hombori, some 160 km (100 miles) south of the Ismalist rebel stronghold of Gao, after French air strikes drove back the militants, military sources said.

The sources on the ground, who declined to be identified, said the Malian army had moved forward after taking the central town of Douentza on Monday. There was no immediate official confirmation from the Malian defence ministry.

Voice of Russia, Reuters