French President Macron expected to announce Mali withdrawal
French soldiers of Operation Barkhane, an anti-terrorist operation in the Sahel, patrol in armoured vehicle in Gao, northern Mali, on May 30, 2015. PHOTO | PHILIPPE DESMAZES | AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron this week will announce that French troops will be withdrawn from Mali and redeployed elsewhere in the Sahel following a breakdown in ties with the country's military regime, concurring sources say.
Several security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Macron's announcement to end the nine-year French mission in Mali will coincide with a European Union-African Union summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
