US to give Mali equipment for military forces

US gives Mali security forces $5 million in equipment following al-Qaida attack claim

(AP)  BAMAKO, Mali (AP) - The United States is providing security forces in the West African nation of Mali with more than $5 million in new vehicles and other equipment.

The move comes several months after al-Qaida's North African branch claimed it killed 28 Malian soldiers in the country's north.

The U.S. ambassador on Tuesday presented the donation to Malian officials at a ceremony in Bamako. The items include 37 new Land Cruiser pickup trucks and communications equipment.

Ambassador Gillian A. Milovanovic says the donation is "evidence of U.S. long-term support for the Malian government and its people."

Al-Qaida's North Africa branch operates mainly in Algeria but is suspected of crossing the country's porous borders to spread violence in northwestern Africa.