TOPIC: France and Allies to Withdraw Troops From Mali

After years ten years of fighting armed unrest and Islamist militants in the former French colony of Mali, Emmanuel Macron in co-ordination with his European allies have announced they will begin the total withdrawal of troops from the country. 

The Context of  the Withdrawal

A statement by France and its European and African allies declared that 'multiple obstructions' by the ruling military junta in Mali meant that conditions were no longer correct to continue their operations. The statement went on to declare that 'the political, operational and legal conditions are no longer met to effectively continue their current military engagement in the fight against terrorism in Mali.' As such, they have 'decided to commence the coordinated withdrawal of their respective military resources dedicated to these operations from Malian territory.' In practise, this removes the French bases at Gossi, Menaka and Gao in at most six months, with the departure of the French Barkhane force and Takuba European force. It is predicted by regional experts that this will leave a noticeable hole in Malian defences, with the border areas around Niger likely to be left particularly vulnerable.

A Failure For France?

The sudden nature of the withdrawal inevitably raises the question, has the French mission been a success? France originally deployed troops to counteract rebels in northern Mali in 2013. In this regard it was a success, with troops able to retake urban centres, yet despite overwhelming firepower, they were never able to entirely crush the cross-border insurgency that developed. In addition, 48 French soldiers have died in Mali, not a significant number in the scale of things, but a loss of life that is now hard to justify to the French public. President Macron has countered this, stating he 'completely' rejected the notion that France had failed Mali, adding 'we cannot remain military engaged alongside de-facto authorities whose strategy and hidden aims we do not share.' Nonetheless, despite the Presidents assertions, the French newspaper, Le Monde daily, declared the withdrawal 'an inglorious end to an armed intervention that began in euphoria and which ends nine years later, against a backdrop of crisis between Mali and France.'

What is Left for the Sahel?

Despite the withdrawal, France and her allies promised to remain active in the fight against terrorism in the region. It is reported that the allies agree to continue their work elsewhere, including in Niger and the Gulf of Guinea. Prior to the announcement, Macron had dinner with the leaders of his African allies in the Sahel, including Chad, Mauritania and Niger, with officials from Mali and Burkina Faso (which also recently experienced a coup) not invited. The spokesman for the UN's mission (which operates separately from the French intervention) stated that the UN was studying the impact of the withdrawal and would 'take the necessary steps to adapt', whether or not this would mean an increase in UN deployments is unknown. 

Indeed, relations with France have plunged due to conflicts with the new Malian military government, as the junta leader, Assimi Goita, refused to stick to a plan to return the country to civilian rule. Similarly, he is accused of attempting to recruit the hugely controversial Russian mercenary cohort known as Magner to shore up its support, a factor that likely further influenced France's decision. 

A French soldier involved in anti-terror operations in the Sahel. 
Photo credit: Phillipe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images