French troops have retaken Gao, Timbuktu and now Kidal, the last major stronghold of Islamist militants in northern Mali.
Developments in Mali

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Chadian soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, Mali, January 29, 2013.

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This photo released by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office shows a crowd cheering the arrival of French soldiers in Timbuktu, Mali, January 28, 2013.