http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malian_military
Looks like the tried to buy arms from the Russians last winter:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2012/11/mil-121101-rianovosti01.htm
And have continued to try to purchases old Soviet weapons:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19990480
We ***gave*** them a minimal amount of vehicles and other equipment:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8316269.stm
I can find no evidence of Mali making any substantial purchase of French military equipment.
If you really want to follow the dollars - it's the hostage taking dollars you should watch:
* AQIM - Born out of the Algerian Salafist movement, GSPC, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) arrived on the public stage in January 2007. It rose to prominence partly by attacking Algerian government forces but mainly through its involvement in kidnapping Westerners across the Sahel zone including Mali, Niger and Mauritania.
It has also links to trans-Sahara smuggling - a trade that includes drugs, guns and people - topping up the tens of millions of dollars raised from ransom-taking. In July 2012, the head of U.S. Africa Command described AQIM as al-Qaeda's "wealthiest affiliate".
- Its objectives include ridding North Africa of Western influence, overthrowing apostate "unbeliever" governments. Its leaders are Algerian militant Abdelmalek Droukdel and Salah Gasmi. Gasmi, the group's number two, was arrested in northern Algeria last month. It has traditionally operated in Mali through two wings, or katibas. France has advised its 6,000 citizens in Mali to leave as AQIM has in turn promised revenge for the French military intervention in Mali.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50457590#.UPSl-YVGSCM
= new reply since forum marked as read
