French anger over Mali's 'tattooed soldiers' slur

France's defence minister has hit out at accusations of poor behaviour by some French troops stationed in Mali.

Florence Parly said allegations made by Mali's ambassador in the French senate on Wednesday were false and unacceptable.

Toumani Djime Diallo had complained about the behaviour of French Foreign Legion soldiers in the capital, Bamako.

"At times you see them in the red-light districts of Bamako, their bodies completely covered in tattoos, behaving in a way that does not correspond to the [French] army we know," France's national broadcaster quoted him as saying.

"It makes people afraid, it makes tongues wag."

Ms Parly said such accusations were themselves indecent when considered in the light of France's commitment to fight militant groups in the Sahel.

France recently announced it was sending an extra 600 troops to the region.

It will then have more than 5,000 soldiers across Mali and four other countries in the Sahel.