Operation Barkhane: France and its allies announce a "coordinated withdrawal" from Mali

It is now official.

As announced for several weeks, France, its European allies in Takuba and Canada announce a "coordinated withdrawal" from Mali this Thursday morning in a joint press release.

A statement which endorses the decisions taken on Wednesday evening at a summit bringing together several European and African leaders and which precedes a press conference to be held in the next few minutes at the Elysée Palace, during which Emmanuel Macron will speak, in particular alongside the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The press release also highlights the "willingness to remain engaged in the Sahelian region" of Europeans and Canadians, as well as that of "extending their support" to the countries of the Gulf of Guinea, specifies the Elysée.

France has been militarily present since 2013 in Mali, prey to jihadist groups which are also rampant in other Sahelian states.

Paris intervened to stem the advance of radical Islamist groups threatening Bamako and then set up a vast regional anti-jihadist operation, Barkhane, deploying thousands of soldiers to fight local franchises of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. .

Read alsoOperation Barkhane: in Mali, soon the end... and a feeling of failure

But despite tactical victories, the ground has never really been taken over by the Malian state and its armed forces.

An aggravating factor, the Malian government was overthrown in a double coup in 2020 and 2021, resulting in the coming to power of a junta which refuses to organize elections for several years and which surfs on a growing anti-French sentiment in the region.

Banished by the West African states, the Malian authorities castigate the Western military presence on their soil and are now calling, according to the Europeans, to Russian mercenaries from the Wagner company.

53 French soldiers were killed in the Sahel, including 48 in Mali

Some 25,000 men are currently deployed in the Sahel, including around 4,300 French (2,400 in Mali as part of Barkhane), according to the Elysée.

The country also hosts 15,000 UN soldiers within the Minusma, whose future is now in suspense since it was counting on broad support from Barkhane.

Mali was at the heart of the French and European counter-terrorism system in the Sahel.

Emmanuel Macron had already decided to begin a reduction in the French workforce in the summer of 2021 in favor of a less visible regional system, but this forced departure from the country will force Paris to accelerate this reorganization in other countries in the region threatened by the jihadist contagion, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea.

VIDEO.

End of Operation Barkhane: why France is reducing its military presence in the Sahel

Outside Mali, Paris intends to continue the anti-jihadist fight in the region, where movements affiliated with Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group have retained a strong power of nuisance despite the elimination of many leaders.

In addition to a possible strengthening of its presence in neighboring Niger, which already hosts a French air base and 800 soldiers, Paris aims to offer its services to other West African countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Benin, etc.). ) to help them counter the spread of jihadism to the Gulf of Guinea.

Since 2013, 53 French soldiers have been killed in the Sahel, including 48 in Mali.