the last French soldiers have left Mali

For nearly a decade, the French army had been engaged in Mali. Its mission was to fight terrorism and jihadists. Monday, August 15, the last French soldiers still present left Gao (Mali) to join Niger, thus marking the end of Operation Barkhane in Mali.

On Monday, Emmanuel Macron “makes[u] tribute to the commitment of all the soldiers who, for nine years, have fought armed terrorist groups on Malian soil”. The French army had become persona non grata on Malian soil. After the last coup, anti-French sentiment spread through much of the country. France had to resolve to pack up, leaving behind an unstable territory. In June, more than 130 civilians were massacred in one night in Diallassagou (Mali), near the border with Burkina Faso. From now on, the French army will be redeployed in the neighboring countries of the Sahel.