Posted
Article written by
/2021/12/14/61b8b98ead35d_francetv-info.png)
Thursday, February 17, Emmanuel Macron formalized the withdrawal of French soldiers from Mali. 2,400 soldiers are still there and should be evacuated within four to six months. Others will be redeployed in the Sahel and in particular in Niger.
When the departure of French troops was announced, a group of demonstrators chanted “Down with France”. “We are happy. People are happy everywhere, for the departure from France”, says a Malian. Anti-French sentiment was stoked by the military junta, which came to power after a coup. For Emmanuel Macron, there is no question of talking about failure. “Victory against terrorism is not possible if it is not carried by the State itself”defended the President of the Republic, Thursday, February 17.
Three bases have already been evacuated in the north of the country. 2,000 soldiers are still there. The last French and European camps will be closed by the summer. In 2013, François Hollande was welcomed as a hero at the mali. France came to stem the progression of jihadist groups towards the Malian capital. In nine years, many terrorist leaders have been killed, but the threat has spread south, and new countries are under attack. France will keep nearly 3,000 soldiers in the rest of the Sahel, particularly in Niger, for specific, rapid and more discreet actions.