Paris and its partners, however, want to “remain engaged in the” Sahelian region and “extend their support to neighboring countries in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa” to contain the jihadist threat.
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Pushed out by the junta in power in Bamako, France and its European partners formalized, Thursday, February 17, their military withdrawal from Mali after nine years of anti-jihadist struggle led by Paris.
“Due to the multiple obstructions of the Malian transitional authorities, Canada and the European states operating alongside the operation [française] Barkhane and within the Takuba task force believe that the conditions are no longer met to effectively pursue their current military commitment in the fight against terrorism in Mali and have therefore decided to begin the coordinated withdrawal from Malian territory of their respective military means. dedicated to these operations”they point out in a joint statement.
Paris and its partners, however, wish “stay engaged in the region” sahelian and “extend their support to neighboring countries in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa” to contain the jihadist threat. The “settings” of this reorganization will be decided “by June 2022”.
France has been militarily present since 2013 in Mali, prey to jihadist groups which are also rampant in other Sahelian states. Paris intervened to stem the advance of radical Islamist groups threatening Bamako and then set up a vast regional operation, Barkhane, deploying thousands of soldiers to fight local franchises of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
But despite tactical victories, the ground has never really been taken over by the Malian state and its armed forces. An aggravating factor, the Malian government was overthrown in a double coup in 2020 and 2021, resulting in the coming to power of a junta which refuses to organize elections for several years and which surfs on a growing anti-French sentiment in the region.
Some 25,000 men are currently deployed in the Sahel, including around 4,300 French (2,400 in Mali as part of Barkhane), according to the Elysée. The country also hosts 15,000 UN soldiers within the Minusma, whose future is now in suspense since it was counting on broad support from Barkhane.