A Mali court has ordered a 20-year jail term against a French intelligence agent with diplomatic status for "undermining state security", judicial sources told AFP on Friday. The sentence is a new blow to relations between the west African nation, ruled by a junta since 2021, and former colonial ruler France. Read moreMali, immigration and DR Congo: Five takeaways from Macron's FRANCE 24 interview Detained since his arrest in August 2025, the Frenchman was also hit on Thursday with a €5,400 ($6,225) fine and a 20-year ban on entering Mali, three separate court sources confirmed. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)