French soldiers patrol Timbuktu, Mali, in December 2021. France confirms it is withdrawing troops from Mali due to a breakdown in relations. PHOTO | AFP
France and European partners announced Thursday that they were withdrawing troops from Mali due to a breakdown in relations with the country's ruling junta, after nearly 10 years of fighting a jihadist insurgency.
In a joint statement, France and its European partners say that “the political, operational and legal conditions are no longer met to effectively pursue our current military commitment in the fight against terrorism in Mali.”
