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French President Emmanuel Macron this week will announce that French troops will be withdrawn from Mali and redeployed elsewhere in the Sahel following a breakdown in ties with the country’s military regime, concurring sources say.
Several security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Macron’s announcement to end the nine-year French mission in Mali will coincide with a European Union-African Union summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
France initially deployed troops in 2013 to beat back advancing jihadist fighters in northern Mali.
But the extremists regrouped and in 2015 moved into central Mali, an ethnic powder-keg, before launching cross-border attacks on neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.
Now, sporadic raids on countries to the south have raised fears of a jihadist push to the Gulf of Guinea.
The expected pullout amounts to a major strategic shift by France, spurred by a breakdown in its relations with Mali, a former colony and traditional ally, after two military coups.
The withdrawal will end a mission that successive French presidents had argued was crucial for regional and European security.
“If the conditions are no longer in place for us to be able to act in Mali—which is clearly the case—we will continue to fight terrorism side-by-side with Sahel countries who want it,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday.
Macron, who was already planning to reduce the almost 5,000 troops deployed in the Sahel region, is expected to announce redeployments to other bases operated by French forces in neighbouring countries such as Niger.
He is due to host allied African leaders for informal talks in Paris Wednesday ahead of the summit, diplomatic sources said.
With a presidential election looming in April, Macron is eager to avoid comparisons with the US’ chaotic withdrawal…
Source : france24
