France to Pull More Than 2,000 Troops From Africa's Sahel
Voice of America
PARIS - France will withdraw more than 2,000 troops from an anti-extremism force in Africa's Sahel region by early next year and pivot its military presence to specialized regional forces instead, President Emmanuel Macron said Friday.
Macron announced last month a future reduction of France's military presence, arguing that it's no longer adapted to the needs in the area. The French Barkhane force, operating in Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, also had met opposition from some Africans. After discussions Friday with leaders of the African countries involved, Macron announced that France would reduce its force to 2,500 to 3,000 troops over the long term. The country currently has 5,000 troops in the region. The French leader insisted that his country was not abandoning African partners and would keep helping them fight groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
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