AP

French military: Last group of soldiers has left Mali

Aug 15, 2022, 8:38 AM | Updated: 8:52 am

FILE - French Barkhane force soldiers who wrapped up a four-month tour of duty in the Sahel leave t...

FILE - French Barkhane force soldiers who wrapped up a four-month tour of duty in the Sahel leave their base in Gao, Mali, June 9, 2021. French officials announced Monday Aug. 15, 2022 that the last soldier from the operation has now left Mali, finalising the withdrawal of French troops after a 10-year-long presence. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

(AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

NICE, France (AP) — The last French army unit left Mali on Monday, according to a statement from the French military, nine years after Paris sent troops to the West African country to help drive Islamic extremists from power.

France’s armed forces completed their withdrawal from Mali six months after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his plan to pull out of the country following tensions with the ruling junta.

Tensions have also grown over the past year between Mali, its African neighbors and the European Union after Mali’s transitional government allowed Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group to deploy on its territory.

The last contingent of French soldiers of the so-called Barkhane Force present on Malian territory crossed into neighboring Niger on Monday afternoon, the French military said. They were based in Gao in northern Mali, a region plagued with jihadi violence.

France had about 4,300 troops in the Sahel region, including 2,400 in Mali, in February when Macron announced the withdrawal. With French army units out of Mali, “the Barkhane force has been reorganized outside the country,” the French army statement said Monday, adding that the “major logistic challenge has been met in an orderly and safe way, in coordination with all its partners.”

Macron has previously said that the “heart” of the French operation will be moved to Niger, especially in the region bordering Burkina Faso. The so-called Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauretania.

French forces have been active in Mali since 2013, when they intervened to oust Islamic extremists from power. But the insurgents regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies. An August 2020 coup led by Col. Assimi Goita grabbed power in Mali. Goita carried out a second coup by dismissing the civilian leaders in Mali’s transitional government and putting himself in charge last year.

Following Macron’s military withdrawal announcement in February, European leaders also said that an EU-led military task force known as Takuba is also pulling out of Mali. They criticized the Malian junta for hiring the Wagner Group, which the EU accuses of fomenting violence and committing human rights abuses in Africa.

Macron and other European leaders have repeatedly said the military withdrawals from Mali will not result in abandonment of the people in the Sahel region in their fight against Islamic extremists.

After leaving Mali, “the French armed forces continue to fight terrorism in the Sahel, in close coordination with our African and international partners,” the French army’s statement said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              FILE - French Barkhane force soldiers who wrapped up a four-month tour of duty in the Sahel leave their base in Gao, Mali, June 9, 2021. French officials announced Monday Aug. 15, 2022 that the last soldier from the operation has now left Mali, finalising the withdrawal of French troops after a 10-year-long presence. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
            
              FILE - French Barkhane force soldiers who wrapped up a four-month tour of duty in the Sahel leave their base in Gao, Mali, June 9, 2021. French officials announced Monday Aug. 15, 2022 that the last soldier from the operation has now left Mali, finalising the withdrawal of French troops after a 10-year-long presence. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
            
              FILE - French Barkhane force soldiers who wrapped up a four-month tour of duty in the Sahel leave their base in Gao, Mali, June 9, 2021. French officials announced Monday Aug. 15, 2022 that the last soldier from the operation has now left Mali, finalising the withdrawal of French troops after a 10-year-long presence. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

AP

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jers...

Associated Press

3rd Republican presidential debate is set for Nov. 8 in Miami, with the strictest qualifications yet

The third Republican presidential debate will be held in Miami on Nov. 8, a day after several states hold off-year elections.

3 days ago

During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal ...

Associated Press

The fall equinox is here. What does that mean?

The equinox arrives on Saturday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean?

3 days ago

Ray Epps Ray Epps, an Arizona man who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, ...

Associated Press

Ray Epps, an Arizona man who supported Trump, pleads guilty to Capital riot charge

Ray Epps, the target of a conspiracy theory about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge.

5 days ago

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, to ...

Associated Press

Trump refuses to say in a TV interview how he watched the Jan. 6 attack unfold at the US Capitol

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday to answer questions about whether he watched the Capitol riot.

8 days ago

This frame grab from video, provided by the Mexican government, shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez being det...

Associated Press

Mexico extradites son of ‘El Chapo,’ Ovidio Guzman Lopez to US

The son of notorious cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, Ovidio Guzman Lopez was extradited to the U.S. on Friday.

9 days ago

impeachments in US history...

Associated Press

A look at notable impeachments in US history, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday on during his impeachment trial. Here's a roundup of impeachments in U.S. history.

9 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Importance of AC maintenance after Arizona’s excruciating heat wave

An air conditioning unit in Phoenix is vital to living a comfortable life inside, away from triple-digit heat.

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

French military: Last group of soldiers has left Mali