Narrator: Musa became the Emperor of Mali, the Mansa ... Timbuktu became the heart of his empire, the centre of trade and culture. News of wealth and learning spread far and wide.

A heavy guilder’s tax was imposed on everything that passed through the empire, in or out. In four centuries, Mali expanded its territory, influence, and culture thanks to a well-trained imperial army ...

The Mali Empire under Musa reflected Africa at one of the summits of its grandeur. But perhaps it is also a somber reminder of what an independent, flourishing Africa could have become.

TASS/. Work on launching the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Mali's capital, Bamako, is underway, and the parties will sign an intergovernmental agreement on the issue, Russian Ambassador ...