The 32-year-old Malian had worked for a sub-contractor at Camp Castor, the base that is operated by German UN soldiers in Gao, northern Mali's most populous city. All the translators knew Mr Dicko ...

Find the best Gao Region hotel for your dates, by price or preference Compare hotel deals across hundreds of providers, all in one place Fancy a break, but haven't decided on exact dates yet? Good!

in cities like Gao and Timbuktu. Using his large army, he invaded other regions and doubled the size of his territory, growing his already vast empire. It is estimated that Mali came to control ...