the French army evacuated its last soldiers to Mali

For nearly a decade, the French army had been engaged in Mali, with the mission of fighting terrorists and jihadists. Monday, August 15, the last French soldiers still present left Gao to join Niger, marking the end of the operation Barkhane in Mali. “The President of the Republic pays tribute to the commitment of all the soldiers who, for nine years, have fought armed terrorist groups on Malian soil“, we communicated on the side of the Élysée.

59 French soldiers lost their lives on Malian soil. But the French army had become persona non grata there. After the last coup that made the junta triumph military currently in power, anti-French sentiment has spread through much of the country. France has resolved to pack up, leaving behind, at the end of its mission, an unstable territory. In June, more than 130 civilians were massacred overnight in Diallassagou, near the border with Burkina Faso.