French President Francois Hollande on Friday expressed hopes for a political success in Mali after a Paris-led military offensive quashed Islamist rebels from its former colony.

"Operation Serval had one objective to free Mali from the grip of terrorists. This mission was accomplished... There isn't a corner of Mali under the thumb of terrorists," Hollande said.

"If there was a military success, it must now be successful, and it no longer depends on us, politically," he added.

In an interview with three local media, France 24, TV5 and RFI, Hollande said he was confident that an election in Mali would be hold in July despite the troubled security situation.

Acknowledging a persistent terror menaces in the Sahel region, Hollande noted that French soldiers "are not far from where we think there may be a terrorist threat to intervene in the most efficient manner possible."

Aiming at withdrawing 3,000 soldiers this year, Paris said it would keep a permanent 1,000-strong combat force in its former colony to support a UN peacekeeping mission of African forces.

In this context, Hollande reiterated France's pledge to help poorly trained local forces and providing them with needed equipments to secure their territories, stressing that the fight against terror group must be headed by African armies.

France kicked off its military intervention in Mali on January 11 on the request of Mali authorities.