text: French Sudan was a colony in French West Africa that had two separate periods of existence , first from 1890 to 1899 , then from 1920 to 1960 , when the territory became the independent nation of Mali .
simplified: The first time was from 1890 to 1899 , and the second was from 1920 to 1960 . In 1960 it became the independent nation of Mali .