The conditions are no longer in place to continue the fight against Islamist militants in Mali and President Emmanuel Macron has asked to reorganise French troops in the region.
French soldiers from the new Takuba force are pictured during a briefing at their headquarter in Gao, Mali on August 20, 2021.The conditions are no longer in place to continue the fight against Islamist militants in Mali and President Emmanuel Macron has asked to reorganise French troops in the region, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday.
France is considering withdrawing its troops from Mali, but adapting its strategy to prevent Islamist militancy spreading south may prove complex and contribute to uncertainty in the region. Western foreign ministers and senior diplomats held crunch talks on their countries' future presence fighting Islamist militants in Mali on Monday after three weeks of consultations amid deterioration in relations between Mali and France, the main foreign military power in the Sahel region.
“The president wants us reorganise. We aren't going, but we will reorganise to ensure the fight against terrorism continues,” Le Drian said.A draft document seen by Reuters, distributed to countries involved in Mali that has yet to be approved, says that France and its Takuba partners had agreed to coordinate withdrawal of their military resources from Malian territory.