French troops are on the move to Segou. They left the capital in an armored column for the north where Malian forces are battling al Qaeda linked rebels, after a week of air strikes.<br/> <br />Abdourahaman Bary, a resident of Konobougou, some 136 miles from Bamako.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE: Abdourahaman Bary, a villager from Konobougou saying:<br/> <br />"It's thanks to the good God that we are still here. We are secure now. We see France here with a strong hand. We like that, it's God's hand."<br/> <br />The French push northward into rebel controlled areas comes as West African forces arrived in Mali.<br/> <br />About 100 troops from Togo arrived in Bamako, and were joining up with forces from Nigeria to reinforce French and Malian forces.
