26 July 2014
Last updated at 17:40 ET
Francois Hollande was speaking after he met victims' families
in Paris. Fifty-four French nationals were on board flight AH5017.
There were no survivors.
The plane was flying from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, to Algiers.
Earlier, UN search teams scouring the remote site found the second flight data recorder from the plane.
Three days of national mourning are to be observed across France from Monday, Mr Hollande's office said.
Among the French contingent on board flight AH5017 was a family of 10.
Algeria is already observing three days of mourning for the crash.
Mr Hollande said a memorial would be erected at the site and that those families who wished to do so would be able to visit the site.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane early on Thursday after pilots reported severe sandstorms.
The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, had been chartered from Spanish airline Swiftair.
It was flying from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, to Algiers.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told French radio network RTL on Friday that "the aircraft was destroyed at the moment it crashed".
"We think the aircraft crashed for reasons linked to the weather conditions, although no theory can be excluded at this point," he said.
Contact with flight AH 5017 was lost about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou early on Thursday morning, Air Algerie said.
The pilot had contacted Niger's control tower in Niamey at around 01:30 GMT to change course because of a sandstorm, officials say.
McDonnell Douglas MD-83
Passenger origin
Burkina Faso: 27 passengers
France: 54
Lebanon: 8
Algeria: 6
Luxembourg: 2
Canada: 5
Germany: 4
Belgium, Egypt, Ukraine, Switzerland, Nigeria, Mali, UK: 1
Figures released by Burkina Faso authorities
Air Algerie AH5017: Hollande vows bodies will be brought back
TO SEE VIDEO:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28500665
France's
president has promised that the bodies of 118 people who died when an
Air Algerie plane crashed in Mali will be brought back to France.
The plane was flying from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, to Algiers.
Earlier, UN search teams scouring the remote site found the second flight data recorder from the plane.
Three days of national mourning are to be observed across France from Monday, Mr Hollande's office said.
Among the French contingent on board flight AH5017 was a family of 10.
Algeria is already observing three days of mourning for the crash.
Mr Hollande said a memorial would be erected at the site and that those families who wished to do so would be able to visit the site.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane early on Thursday after pilots reported severe sandstorms.
Tomasz Schafernaker: "Thunderstorms stretching up to 15km into the air can cause turbulence, icing on the wings and lightning"
It was flying from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, to Algiers.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told French radio network RTL on Friday that "the aircraft was destroyed at the moment it crashed".
"We think the aircraft crashed for reasons linked to the weather conditions, although no theory can be excluded at this point," he said.
Contact with flight AH 5017 was lost about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou early on Thursday morning, Air Algerie said.
The pilot had contacted Niger's control tower in Niamey at around 01:30 GMT to change course because of a sandstorm, officials say.
- Twin rear-engine, short-medium range airliner
- More powerful version of the MD-80 type, based on earlier DC-9
- Range: 4,637km (2,881 miles)
- Capacity: 172 passengers
- First flew: 1984
France: 54
Lebanon: 8
Algeria: 6
Luxembourg: 2
Canada: 5
Germany: 4
Belgium, Egypt, Ukraine, Switzerland, Nigeria, Mali, UK: 1
Figures released by Burkina Faso authorities
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South China Morning Post* 'We have only seen body parts', says delegation member at the site of Air Algerie crash 3 hrs ago
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Citizen.co.za Experts to begin probe into Air Algerie crash 7 hrs ago
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Mail Online UK British Air Algerie plane crash victim named as teacher David Morgan 10 hrs ago
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Telegraph British teacher among the Air Algerie dead 13 hrs ago
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Times Live South Africa Air Algerie crash wipes out entire families 18 hrs ago
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