France Hails Mali for Breakthrough in Polls

France has hailed Mali’s presidential elections as a great success, in the landmark polls first since the military-led coup and a separatist-led rebellion in the north by Islamists that had plunge the country into civil unrest.

Renegade soldiers led by Captain Amadou Sanogo took over power in March 2012, over what it claimed as incompetence by then President Amadou Toumani Toure regime to crush a Tuareg rebellion in north-eastern Mali.

Provisional results from the Sunday polls put former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubakar Keita in the lead, according to reports from the state broadcaster, predicting an outright win for him, averting a run-off vote on 11 August.

Already Mr Keita’s supporters are holding celebrations in the capital, Bamako, and in towns throughout in the country as vote counting exercise continued. The presidential election had attracted 27 candidates, with some 6.8 million people registered to vote in the 21,000 polloing stations across the country.

Former colonial power France, which had sent its troops in January to crush the Islamists rebellion, has praised Malian authorities for the exercise that went off well.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said France did not act out of "paternalism" and wanted Mali to become a "democratic independent nation", AFP news agency reports.

"Congratulations are in order that the Mali elections went off well... For France, it is a great success," Mr Ayrault is quoted as saying.

The July presidential election is part of the deal that saw a civilian interim authority established in August following weeks of rule by the military junta that had ordered closure of border and imposed curfew.

European Union poll observation mission said the election had gone off well and was marked by enthusiasm among voters.

An incursion southwards by the Islamist fighters in the north, threatening to overrun Bamako had taken advantage of the coup, prompting the Malian interim authorities to seek the French intervention.

France heeded with a military mission in January, sending 4,000 troops to operate jointly with their Malian counterparts, to beat back the Islamist rebels, who were in control of the northern region of the country want independent.

The French has begun withdrawing its troops from Mali, paving way for the UN peacekeeping force deployed earlier this month to watch over the election intended to reunite the north and south.

France has independently said it will help rebuild Mali once the military campaign in the country is over.