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(CNN) -- French-led troops in Mali now control the ancient city of Timbuktu, the city of Gao and the swath in between that was an Islamist stronghold for almost a year, the French Defense Ministry said.
"We are winning in Mali," French President Francois Hollande said at a news conference Monday, but he added that militants still control parts of the north.
READ: Six reasons events in Mali matter
Hollande did not say how long France will maintain troops in its former colony.
The country has 2,150 soldiers on Malian soil, with 1,000 more troops supporting the operation from elsewhere.
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Malian soldiers enter the historic city of Timbuktu on Monday, January 28. Malian and French forces have been battling the Islamist militants to loosen their grip on the country. France was the colonial power in Mali until 1960. French soldiers flying back from Timbuktu arrive at the French army base camp in Sevare on January 28. A man prays in the recently liberated town of Douentza on January 28. Wounded Malian soldiers rest after receiving medical care at the Polyclinique of Kati on Sunday, January 27. Malian soldiers wait at a checkpoint near Sevare on January 27. A French soldier walks through the bush in central Mali on January 27. Malian soldiers wait at a checkpoint near Sevare on January 27. A Malian soldier stands amid debris Saturday, January 26, in the key central town of Konna, which has been under French and Malian army control since last week. It was taken on January 11 by Islamist groups. Malian soldiers walk past the bullet-riddled wall of a house in Konna on Saturday, January 26. A Malian soldier looks at the wreckage of an Islamist rebel's armed pickup truck in Konna. Ammunition lies on the ground in Konna. Malian soldiers escort journalists in Konna. Malian soldiers patrol a street of Diabaly on January 26. Ali Ag Noh, right, stands with his family in front of his house on Friday, Janurary 25, in the village of Seribala, Mali, after his cousin and brother-in-law, Aboubakrim Ag Mohamed, and a cattle rancher, Samba Dicko, were shot dead on January 24, allegedly by the Malian Army. According to Noh, Mohamed, a Tuareg, and Dicko were shot in the head in Seribala after being accused by two Malian soldiers of being Islamists or aiding Islamists. Members of the French army arrive at a base camp in Sevare, Mali, on January 25. French and Malian troops advanced on the key Islamist stronghold of Gao after recapturing the northern town of Hombori as the extremists bombed a strategic bridge to thwart a new front planned in the east. Malian soldiers ride a motorcycle in a street of Merkala, on Thursday, January 24, 2013 as the first of the 6,000 troops pledged by African nations to support France started heading north. A Malian soldier armed with a machine gun watches a herd of cattle crossing a bridge over the Niger River on January 24. Mali's military offensive against militants controlling the northern half of the country has gathered pace in the past two weeks, with backing from France and other international allies. A French army convoy travels near Segou, in south-central Mali, is on its way to Diabaly on January 24. A woman who fled northern Mali sits at a camp for internally displaced persons in Sevare on Wednesday, January 23. The EU announced 20 million euros of extra humanitarian aid to help Malians fleeing fighting, its second such donation in as many months. A soldier rides on the back of a scooter outside Diabaly on January 23. Malians walk past a destroyed truck mounted with a machine gun on Tuesday, January 22. The truck was used by militants and destroyed during airstrikes by the French air force. Malian soldiers patrol Diabaly on January 22. Malian soldiers walk past destroyed army barracks as they patrol in Diabaly on January 22, 2013. A French soldier mans his post on January 22 near the city of Diabaly, Mali. A French soldier stands guard in front of charred pickups used by Islamist rebels in Diabaly, Mali, on Monday, January 21. The Malian military says it has gained control of the town of Diabaly, a key advance in the battle against Islamist militants in the north. A Malian soldier walks past a army building that was taken by the jihadists before being destroyed during aerial bombing in Diabaly on January 21. A Malian soldier searches through debris after aerial bombing in the city of Diabaly on January 21. A French soldier looks around after arriving in Diabaly on January 21. French soldiers unload military equipment from an aircraft on January 21. Malian youths look on as French soldiers drive through Niono on Sunday, January 20. The French Army conducts operations in Mali on January 20. A Malian soldier holds a machine gun on top of a jeep on the road back from the town of Mopti, Mali, on Saturday, January 19. French soldiers of the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment stand with their equipment in front of a helicopter on January 19 at an airbase near Bamako, Mali. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on January 19 that France now had 2,000 troops on the ground in Mali as part of a drive against Islamist militants holding the north of the country. French soldiers of the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment relax on January 19 at the airbase near Bamako. A French soldier from the helicopter regiment stands guard at the airbase on January 19. Malian soldiers check the identity of passengers in a bus coming from Mopti on January 19. French President Francois Hollande, left, speaks with soldiers who are due to leave for Mali, during a meeting in Tulle, France, on January 19. Malian soldiers sit in a truck on their way to Niono, Mali, on Friday, January 18. A Malian child looks out from a bus as Malian army soldiers check vehicles and passengers in the city of Niono on Friday, January 18. Malian troops, with help from France and a U.N.-mandated African force, are fighting al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants. Malian soldiers man a checkpoint in Niono on January 18. Togolese troops board a plane to Bamako, Mali, on Thursday, January 17, at the Lome airport in Togo. Troops from West African countries are heading to Mali as part of a U.N.-mandated African force to fight the insurgents. Helmets belonging to soldiers of the Nigerian army are prepared to be sent to Mali at the Nigerian army peacekeeping center near Kaduna, Nigeria, on January 17. Malian soldiers stand guard as Mali's President Dioncounda Traore speaks to French troops at an air base in Bamako, Mali, on Wednesday, January 16. A Malian soldier adjusts his weapon as President Traore speaks to French troops at an air base in Bamako on January 16. French army soldiers stand on armoured vehicles as they leave Bamako and start their deployment to the north of Mali as part of the Serval operation on Tuesday, January 15. A French flag is hung on a van in Bamako as French troops start a deployment in the north of Mali on Wednesday. French troops prepare their Sagaie armoured all terrain vehicles from the Licorne operation based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, at the 101st military airbase near Bamako on Wednesday. French troops from the Licorne operation based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, arrive at the 101st military airbase near Bamako on Wednesday to reinforce the Serval operations, before their deployment in the north of Mali. Malian police patrol in the capital of Bamako on Sunday, January 13. Malian police patrol Bamako on Sunday. A British army Boeing C-17 cargo plane from British Brize Norton base lands Sunday at the Evreux military base in France to take supplies to Bamako. French soldiers prepare cargo for a British plane en route to Bamako on Sunday at the Evreux military base. A French armored vehicle rolls onto a British army aircraft to be taken to Bamako on Sunday in Evreux. Workers adjust chains on a vehicle load in the C-17 in Evreux on Sunday. Internally displaced Malians from Timbuktu chat at a makeshift cafe in Bamako on Sunday. French President Francois Hollande, right, speaks with members of Malian associations in France during a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Sunday. Muslim men protest French military action in Mali outside the French Embassy in central London on Saturday, January 12. About 50 Muslim protesters gathered outside the embassy. Protesters wave signs outside the French Embassy on Saturday in London. The interim president of Mali, Dioncounda Traore, speaks after a ministerial Cabinet meeting in Bamako on Friday, January 11. Malian authorities declared a state of emergency throughout the country on Friday as the army launched a counteroffensive against Islamists who were pushing south. Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents HIDE CAPTION << < 
French soldiers flying back from Timbuktu arrive at the French army base camp in Sevare on January 28. 
A man prays in the recently liberated town of Douentza on January 28. 
Wounded Malian soldiers rest after receiving medical care at the Polyclinique of Kati on Sunday, January 27. 
Malian soldiers wait at a checkpoint near Sevare on January 27. 
A French soldier walks through the bush in central Mali on January 27. 
Malian soldiers wait at a checkpoint near Sevare on January 27. 
A Malian soldier stands amid debris Saturday, January 26, in the key central town of Konna, which has been under French and Malian army control since last week. It was taken on January 11 by Islamist groups. 
Malian soldiers walk past the bullet-riddled wall of a house in Konna on Saturday, January 26. 
A Malian soldier looks at the wreckage of an Islamist rebel's armed pickup truck in Konna. 
Ammunition lies on the ground in Konna. 
Malian soldiers escort journalists in Konna. 
Malian soldiers patrol a street of Diabaly on January 26. 
Ali Ag Noh, right, stands with his family in front of his house on Friday, Janurary 25, in the village of Seribala, Mali, after his cousin and brother-in-law, Aboubakrim Ag Mohamed, and a cattle rancher, Samba Dicko, were shot dead on January 24, allegedly by the Malian Army. According to Noh, Mohamed, a Tuareg, and Dicko were shot in the head in Seribala after being accused by two Malian soldiers of being Islamists or aiding Islamists. 
Members of the French army arrive at a base camp in Sevare, Mali, on January 25. French and Malian troops advanced on the key Islamist stronghold of Gao after recapturing the northern town of Hombori as the extremists bombed a strategic bridge to thwart a new front planned in the east. 
Malian soldiers ride a motorcycle in a street of Merkala, on Thursday, January 24, 2013 as the first of the 6,000 troops pledged by African nations to support France started heading north. 
A Malian soldier armed with a machine gun watches a herd of cattle crossing a bridge over the Niger River on January 24. Mali's military offensive against militants controlling the northern half of the country has gathered pace in the past two weeks, with backing from France and other international allies. 
A French army convoy travels near Segou, in south-central Mali, is on its way to Diabaly on January 24. 
A woman who fled northern Mali sits at a camp for internally displaced persons in Sevare on Wednesday, January 23. The EU announced 20 million euros of extra humanitarian aid to help Malians fleeing fighting, its second such donation in as many months. 
A soldier rides on the back of a scooter outside Diabaly on January 23. 
Malians walk past a destroyed truck mounted with a machine gun on Tuesday, January 22. The truck was used by militants and destroyed during airstrikes by the French air force. 
Malian soldiers patrol Diabaly on January 22. 
Malian soldiers walk past destroyed army barracks as they patrol in Diabaly on January 22, 2013. 
A French soldier mans his post on January 22 near the city of Diabaly, Mali. 
A French soldier stands guard in front of charred pickups used by Islamist rebels in Diabaly, Mali, on Monday, January 21. The Malian military says it has gained control of the town of Diabaly, a key advance in the battle against Islamist militants in the north. 
A Malian soldier walks past a army building that was taken by the jihadists before being destroyed during aerial bombing in Diabaly on January 21. 
A Malian soldier searches through debris after aerial bombing in the city of Diabaly on January 21. 
A French soldier looks around after arriving in Diabaly on January 21. 
French soldiers unload military equipment from an aircraft on January 21. 
Malian youths look on as French soldiers drive through Niono on Sunday, January 20. 
The French Army conducts operations in Mali on January 20. 
A Malian soldier holds a machine gun on top of a jeep on the road back from the town of Mopti, Mali, on Saturday, January 19. 
French soldiers of the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment stand with their equipment in front of a helicopter on January 19 at an airbase near Bamako, Mali. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on January 19 that France now had 2,000 troops on the ground in Mali as part of a drive against Islamist militants holding the north of the country. 
French soldiers of the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment relax on January 19 at the airbase near Bamako. 
A French soldier from the helicopter regiment stands guard at the airbase on January 19. 
Malian soldiers check the identity of passengers in a bus coming from Mopti on January 19. 
French President Francois Hollande, left, speaks with soldiers who are due to leave for Mali, during a meeting in Tulle, France, on January 19. 
Malian soldiers sit in a truck on their way to Niono, Mali, on Friday, January 18. 
A Malian child looks out from a bus as Malian army soldiers check vehicles and passengers in the city of Niono on Friday, January 18. Malian troops, with help from France and a U.N.-mandated African force, are fighting al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants. 
Malian soldiers man a checkpoint in Niono on January 18. 
Togolese troops board a plane to Bamako, Mali, on Thursday, January 17, at the Lome airport in Togo. Troops from West African countries are heading to Mali as part of a U.N.-mandated African force to fight the insurgents. 
Helmets belonging to soldiers of the Nigerian army are prepared to be sent to Mali at the Nigerian army peacekeeping center near Kaduna, Nigeria, on January 17. 
Malian soldiers stand guard as Mali's President Dioncounda Traore speaks to French troops at an air base in Bamako, Mali, on Wednesday, January 16. 
A Malian soldier adjusts his weapon as President Traore speaks to French troops at an air base in Bamako on January 16. 
French army soldiers stand on armoured vehicles as they leave Bamako and start their deployment to the north of Mali as part of the Serval operation on Tuesday, January 15. 
A French flag is hung on a van in Bamako as French troops start a deployment in the north of Mali on Wednesday. 
French troops prepare their Sagaie armoured all terrain vehicles from the Licorne operation based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, at the 101st military airbase near Bamako on Wednesday. 
French troops from the Licorne operation based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, arrive at the 101st military airbase near Bamako on Wednesday to reinforce the Serval operations, before their deployment in the north of Mali. 
Malian police patrol in the capital of Bamako on Sunday, January 13. 
Malian police patrol Bamako on Sunday. 
A British army Boeing C-17 cargo plane from British Brize Norton base lands Sunday at the Evreux military base in France to take supplies to Bamako. 
French soldiers prepare cargo for a British plane en route to Bamako on Sunday at the Evreux military base. 
A French armored vehicle rolls onto a British army aircraft to be taken to Bamako on Sunday in Evreux. 
Workers adjust chains on a vehicle load in the C-17 in Evreux on Sunday. 
Internally displaced Malians from Timbuktu chat at a makeshift cafe in Bamako on Sunday. 
French President Francois Hollande, right, speaks with members of Malian associations in France during a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Sunday. 
Muslim men protest French military action in Mali outside the French Embassy in central London on Saturday, January 12. About 50 Muslim protesters gathered outside the embassy. 
Protesters wave signs outside the French Embassy on Saturday in London. 
The interim president of Mali, Dioncounda Traore, speaks after a ministerial Cabinet meeting in Bamako on Friday, January 11. Malian authorities declared a state of emergency throughout the country on Friday as the army launched a counteroffensive against Islamists who were pushing south. Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents Mali military battles Islamist insurgents HIDE CAPTION << < 
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59 > >> Photos: Fighting Islamists in Mali 
Ex-French PM concerned by troops in Mali 
Mali forces push back Islamic militants 
What led to Mali's disintegration? The United States has also stepped up its involvement in the conflict by conducting aerial refueling missions on top of the intelligence and airlift support it was already providing.
READ: What's behind the instability in Mali?
Britain said Tuesday it will provide military support but won't take part in combat. The United Kingdom is prepared to deploy up to 40 troops to a European Union military training mission in Mali, and up to 200 troops as trainers in English-speaking West African countries, British Defence Minister Philip Hammond told lawmakers in the House of Commons.
In addition, the European Union said Tuesday it will contribute $67 million to support the African-led International Support Mission to Mali.
READ: U.S. steps up involvement in Mali
The nations are joined together in an effort to prevent the Islamists from turning the once peaceful democracy into a haven for international terrorists.
The Islamic extremists carved out a large portion in northern Mali last year, taking advantage of a chaotic situation after a military coup by the separatist party MNLA. They banned music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television. They also destroyed historic tombs and shrines there.
But with the French-led offensive sending the militants on the run, residents once again roamed the streets without fear.
Flushing the Islamists out of Timbuktu, Mali's historic cultural center, is a big symbolic gain.
READ: French-led forces in Mali take Timbuktu airport, enter city
Amid international outrage, the Islamists repeatedly targeted Timbuktu's ancient burial sites. They regarded such shrines as idolatrous and thus prohibited by their strict interpretation of Islam.
As a column of military vehicles drove through Gao over the weekend, villagers chanted "Mali! Mali!"
Young men on motorcycles rode alongside the convoy, wildly waving Mali's flag and euphorically praising France and freedom.
Others lined the sides of the street, holding up beer bottles. They could once again drink, free from the oppressive dictates of the Islamists.
READ: Mali's victims speak out
The mayor of Gao returned from exile and addressed the boisterous crowd. No one could hear a word he said. But it didn't matter. He was back -- another sign that normalcy was returning.
Raising money for Mali
Other countries in Africa and around the world have pledged $455 million at a donors' conference for Mali in the Ethiopian city of Addis Ababa.
Among the donors, Japan pledged $120 million, the United States pledged $96 million, pending congressional approval, and the European Union pledged just over $67 million. Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana pledged $3 million each, and China and India pledged $1 million each.
"I thank you on behalf of the people of Mali," Malian President Dioncounda Traore said. He announced plans to hold elections on July 31.
The money will support military efforts led by the African-led International Support Mission in Mali and the Malian army, the work of the Economic Organization of West African States on Mali and humanitarian assistance.
U.N. gears up for returns
More than 380,000 people have fled northern Mali in the last year: 230,000 are internally displaced, and more than 150,000 refugees are in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Algeria, the United Nations says.
But now, as French and Malian forces take back ground from militants, the U.N. refugee agency is preparing for the "possible spontaneous return of thousands of conflict-displaced people."
The agency, in a statement, reported that displaced people interviewed in the capital, Bamako, said they hoped to return soon.
"Returns are not yet a wide trend, but they are already being seen in some instances," the agency said.
Displaced people told U.N. interviewers that they hope to return soon to areas such as Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal. U.N. officials say people are returning to Konna, which many residents fled after militants overran that city.
The seizure of Konna, on January 10, prompted the French military intervention in Mali. The town is back under Mali's control.
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