military
France withdraws last soldiers from Mali
Flight home: French soldiers in Gao. photo
© Jerome Delay/AP/dpa
Anti-terrorist operation “Barkhane” ended: The last soldiers of the French military mission have left Mali.
France has withdrawn the last soldiers from its anti-terrorist operation “Barkhane” in Mali. The Elysée Palace announced that they had left the West African country.
France announced its withdrawal after nine years in February due to considerable tensions, but intends to remain involved in the Sahel.
A number of armed groups are active in the Sahel region, which stretches south of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Some have pledged allegiance to the terrorist groups Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda. In addition to the anti-terrorist missions, the EU training mission EUTM and the UN stabilization mission Minusma are also underway in Mali.
Mali, with around 20 million inhabitants, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered to be extremely unstable politically. Since the most recent coup in May 2021, the country has been led by an interim military government tasked with maintaining close ties with Russia. On Friday, the Bundeswehr suspended its mission in Mali until further notice because the Malian government had repeatedly refused overflight rights.