Do France passport holders need a visa to visit ML?

Yes. French ordinary passport holders need a visa before traveling to Mali. There is no visa on arrival and no eVisa channel for French nationals. The visa must be obtained in advance from a Mali consulate in France (Paris or Lyon) and a yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory. A France (FR) ordinary passport holder must obtain a visa before traveling to Mali (ML) for tourism or a short visit. Mali grants visa-free entry only to ECOWAS/CEDEAO nationals and to a limited group of diplomatic/service passport holders; France is not covered by any visa-waiver agreement, so French citizens are visa-required. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France Diplomatie) confirms the visa is delivered by the Consulates General of Mali in Paris or Lyon, valid for a 30-day stay and renewable inside Mali. Crucially, the French government explicitly warns there is NO visa on arrival at Bamako airport: travelers arriving without a visa face refusal of entry and forced return on the next flight. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is compulsory for entry. Applications are by appointment; a passport valid 6+ months, ID photos, round-trip flight reservation and proof of accommodation are required. Note that several commercial sites flagged that the Mali consulate's visa service in France has experienced disruptions/suspensions, so applicants should confirm current acceptance directly with the consulate or use an authorized visa agency. Travelers should also be aware that Mali remains under elevated travel-advisory warnings due to security/terrorism risk, separate from the visa question. (A Wikipedia "visa policy" table listing France as visa-exempt was found to conflict with all official French and Malian sources and is treated as inaccurate; the conservative, source-confirmed verdict is visa-required.)