France has proposed keeping a permanent force of 1,000 French troops in Mali to fight armed Islamist militants. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/world/africa/mali-france-proposes-permanent-force.html?emc=eta1 “France has proposed, to the United Nations and to the Malian government, a French support force of 1,000 men, which would be permanent, based in Mali and equipped to fight terrorism,”