Eight years into France’s campaign in Mali, Paris is looking for an exit strategy and is expected to announce a troop drawdown soon, according to a report from AFP.
There are approximately 5,100 French troops stationed in Africa’s Sahel region. France is preparing to announce the withdrawal of 600 troops soon, and President Emmanuel Macron is considering bringing more home before the next presidential election in Spring 2022.
The news comes at a time of heightened violence in the region. French airstrikes reportedly hit a wedding in central Mali on Sunday. Local sources said up to 20 wedding guests were killed.
Over the past 10 days, five French soldiers have been killed in Mali, bringing the total number of French troops killed in the conflict to 50. France began its war against Islamist militants in the region in 2013.
French hawks argue a withdrawal from the Sahel is untenable since the al-Qaeda-linked militants are stronger than ever. Paris is also fighting the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, a branch of ISIS that did not exist in the region before France’s intervention.
Macron is a joke. Now that French public has been disturbed by the killing of a wedding party — he has to say something, anything. Withdrawing 600 troops, that is it? And may be some more by 2022?
Seriously? And who is arming and financing the mysterious ISIS/Al-Qaeda/ Russians/ /Iranians /Martians?
What difference does it make? It is all about money. Big money some are making by militaries playing wars, and they will be “hawking” more and more, digging their heels, not giving an inch.
They know once the furor goes away, public will turn to some other issue, forger about troops,
It is angry locals France is after. Not very original. It took US years before they could stir up a decent sectarian conflict. Arm one group, then another, and soon you will have a good slugfest — a splendid reason for hawks to keep on hawking more war profiteering funds!
Good points. It would take a steady stream of bodybags full of French soldiers to whip up enough public furor to stop the conflict. Otherwise, people forget and the imperialists adventures continue on unchallenged…
The French have taken a beating in Mali, why? The real reason behind Paris’ decision to continue risking the lives of French soldiers in a faraway country has been to protect French economic and geostrategic interests – namely its exploitation of the gold and uranium mines in the region. It’s western colonialism, where the US has suffered also (2017 ambush in nearby Niger).
Another long episode of french meddling ends. Where will they go next? The silly games of dead empires.
perhaps the French will convince the Americans to replace their troops in Mali; this worked out well for amerikans in Vietnam