Mali: the last French soldiers of Operation “Barkhane” have left the country – Le Monde

French soldiers of the “Barkhane” force, in Timbuktu, Mali, on December 5, 2021. THOMAS COEX / AFP The last French soldiers of the “Barkhane” operation, present in Mali for nine years, left the country, said let know, Monday, August 15, the French staff in a press release. These soldiers are now in Niger, the same source said. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Before the departure of the last French soldiers from Mali, Paris is seeking to redefine its strategy in Africa “Today, the last soldiers of Operation Barkhane, present on Malian soil, crossed the border between Mali and Niger. They came from the deserted operational platform of Gao, now transferred to the Malian armed forces”, underlined the staff. “France remains committed to the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea and the Lake Chad region with all partners committed to stability and the fight against terrorism,” the Elysée Palace said in a statement. On Sunday, several dozen people demonstrated in Gao, in northern Mali, to demand the departure of the French military force “Barkhane”, organizers and local elected officials told Agence France-Presse. “We are giving from this day, Sunday August 14, 2022, an ultimatum of seventy-two hours for the definitive departure of Barkhane”, had declared demonstrators presenting themselves as “the living forces” of Gao, a city in the grip of jihadist violence. . Relations between the junta in power in Bamako and Paris, a former colonial power, have deteriorated sharply in recent months, pushing the two countries to break up after nine years of uninterrupted French presence to fight against the jihadists (operations “Serval” then ” Barkhane”). France was pushed out by the Malian military authorities, six months after the arrival of paramilitaries from the Wagner group. Read also: The difficult evolution of the French approach in Africa Le Monde with AFP