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Mali: France Says Barkhane Mission Troops Fully Withdraw From Mali

Mali: France Says Barkhane Mission Troops Fully Withdraw From Mali

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The French military on Monday confirmed that its last soldier with the Barkhane anti-terror mission in Mali had left the West African country.

Paris had announced it would withdraw its forces from Mali around six months ago after heightened tensions with Bamako’s military leaders, as well as recent protests against the mission.

“Today at 1300 Paris time (1100 GMT) the final contingent of the Barkhane force still on Malian territory crossed the border between Mali and Niger,” the statement said.

“France remains engaged in Sahel, in the Gulf of Guinea and the Lake Chad region with all partners committed to stability and to the fight against terrorism,” it added.

What is Operation Barkhane?

The Barkhane mission started after France deployed soldiers to the region in 2013 in a bid to stop jihadists carving out a foothold there.

But the troops’ presence seemed to fail to put a stop to a wave of deadly terror attacks as Paris struggled to get more Western allies to contribute to the force.

Last year, when Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goita carried out his second coup, France’s President Emmanuel Macron insisted that he would pull back French forces if civilian rule was not restored in the West African nation.

But as the security situation deteriorated, anger against the mission grew, with Malians staging protests to demand an end to French presence in the country.