Independence day symbolizes a definitive end to French domination in Mali, the Russian foreign ministry has saidRussia has congratulated Mali on its Independence Day, hailing the West African nation's struggle to end more than six decades of French colonial rule. In a statement on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled Mali's long struggle for independence, marked by brutal French repression, and noted Soviet Union's "significant support" for liberation movements that backed Bamako's sovereign path. Mali was colonized by France in the late 19th century and incorporated into French West Africa until its independence on September 22, 1960. The French colonial authorities imposed forced labor and violently suppressed resistance, including the 1915-1917 Volta-Bani revolt in which tens of thousands of civilians were killed and villages destroyed. "We congratulate ... the people of Mali on their Independence Day and wish them prosperity," the Russian ministry said, adding that the date symbolizes "the country's final liberation from French colonial domination."