FRANCE has warned Mali that it would lose the support of the international community if it agreed on a deal with Russian mercenaries. Diplomatic and security sources have told Reuters that Mali's year-old military junta is close to recruiting the Russian Wagner Group, and France has launched a diplomatic drive to thwart it, saying such an arrangement is "incompatible" with a continued French presence. "If Mali commits to a partnership with these mercenaries, then Mali will isolate itself and will lose the support of the international community which is heavily engaged in Mali," Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told lawmakers.…