Operation Barkhane: the last French soldiers have left Mali, announces the Elysée – franceinfo

This departure comes after Emmanuel Macron’s decision in February to withdraw French troops from Mali, after nine years of presence. Article written by Published on 08/15/2022 15:40 Updated on 08/15/2022 15:58 Reading time: 1 min. After nine years of presence in Mali, the last French soldiers of the Barkhane anti-jihadist force have left the country. “At 1 p.m. (Paris time), the last detachment of the Barkhane force present on Malian soil crossed the border between Mali and Niger,” the army headquarters said on Monday August 15. “It came from the Gao desert operational platform, transferred to the Malian armed forces since this morning,” he said on Twitter. In February, Emmanuel Macron announced the withdrawal of French troops from Mali. “On February 17, noting that the political and operational conditions were no longer met to remain engaged in Mali, France decided, in consultation with its African and European partners, to reorganize the device of Operation Barkhane outside the territory Malian”, writes for its part the presidency of the Republic. The Elysée also reaffirms that “France remains committed to the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea and the Lake Chad region, with all the partners committed to stability and the fight against terrorism”. The presidency also pays tribute “to all the soldiers who (…) fought against armed terrorist groups on Malian soil”, in particular the 59 killed in the context of this operation. Share: Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share by email Share link