Macron wants to significantly reduce French troops in Africa

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Macron in Paris before his trip to Africa

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POOL / REUTERS

Six months after the withdrawal of French soldiers from Mali, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the "visible reduction in the presence" of French soldiers on the African continent.

However, this is neither a retreat nor an end to the deployments, he added.

'Where hundreds or thousands of French soldiers are stationed, the number of our soldiers will be reduced.

At the same time, the number of African partners will be increased,” he explained.

The French military bases would not be closed but turned into academies or community bases.

The number of French soldiers in the region has recently fallen from 5,000 to 3,000.

Last summer, the military junta in Mali pushed through the withdrawal of French soldiers who were fighting jihadist militias there.

Some of the French soldiers were relocated to neighboring Niger.

Last week, France also withdrew 400 special forces from Burkina Faso at the request of the local military junta.

On Wednesday, Macron will embark on a multi-day trip to Gabon, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

The journey takes place against the backdrop of France's waning influence in its former colonies on the African continent.

Russia and China are defending their interests in resource-rich countries ever more vehemently.

According to Macron, France is observing with concern that the Russian mercenary group Wagner is deployed in the Central African Republic and in Mali.

"They are criminal mercenaries who serve as life insurance for incompetent regimes or putschists," said France's president.

They displayed "exploitative behavior" with regard to the mines and raw materials.

"I am convinced that the states that have bet on this short-sighted solution will soon turn away from them because they only bring bad luck," he said.

Before his trip, Macron also announced a law for the return of looted art.

aeh/AFP/dpa