A French soldier patrols in the street in Gao on June 13 2013 Gao fell in March last year to Tuareg rebels who declared the independence of the...
{"Image ImageDescription": "A French soldier patrols in the street in Gao on June 13, 2013. Gao fell in March last year to Tuareg rebels who declared the independence of the entire desert north before losing control to armed Islamists. French warplanes bombed parts of Gao in January to drive out fighters from the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and the city was recaptured for the Bamako government by French and Malian forces on January 26. The first round of the presidential elections will be held in Mali on July 28 throughout the country. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE        (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)", "Image Copyright": "2013 AFP"}