Malian soldiers stand guard in a market in Timbuktu
Malian soldiers stand guard in a market in Timbuktu January 31, 2013. Mali's president offered Tuareg rebels talks on Thursday in a bid for national reconciliation after a French-led offensive drove their Islamist former allies into mountain hideaways. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (MALI - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY)