President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce France’s intention to withdraw its forces from Mali, diplomatic sources said, after hosting a high-level meeting in Africa’s Sahel region on Wednesday.
Ties have worsened since Mali’s military junta backtracked on an agreement to organize elections in February and proposed retaining power until 2025. It also sent Russian private military contractors, which some European countries said were incompatible with its mission.
France has consulted with its regional, European and international partners amid deteriorating relations between Mali and France, the main foreign power fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel.
“Tomorrow evening, there will be a meeting between the French president and the heads of state of the partner countries of our presence in the Sahel region in the fight against terrorism,” French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters.
He declined to say whether a decision had been made on withdrawing forces, other than saying it would be taken in agreement with European and African partners. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday that there are no longer conditions to continue the fight against Islamist militants in Mali, but that Paris will continue in the rest of the region.
A French withdrawal would mean that the European special forces task force Takuba would also leave. Four European diplomatic sources told Reuters that an announcement would be made ahead of the EU-Africa summit in Brussels on Thursday.
A preliminary document seen by Reuters, distributed to the countries involved in Mali, says that France and its Takuba partners “have decided to start the coordinated withdrawal of their military resources from Malian territory”.
“It is no longer a question of whether they leave, but what happens to the troops, what happens to the UN peacekeeping force and what happens to the European Union missions,” said a senior European diplomat.
A French presidency official said the idea would be to reduce troops and cooperate exclusively with countries that want help.
France has already cut troops in the Sahel with the aim of reducing the number from around 5,000 to 2,500-3,000 by 2023. About half of its forces are based in Mali, so Paris has yet to decide what to do to maintain operational efficiency.
The Takuba mission has around 600-900 troops, of which 40% are French, and includes medical and logistical teams. It has been more of a symbolic force accompanying the local troops.
UN mission and EU mission in question?
Few diplomats believe it is possible to survive a withdrawal from Mali, but Paris hopes to convince its allies to support countries in the Gulf of Guinea, notably Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Ghana, where there are concerns that militancy is spreading due to porous borders. Its leaders will be in Paris on Wednesday.
“Given the desire to extend the actions of armed terrorist groups to the south and west of the region, the participants expressed their willingness to expand the geographic reach of their support”, says the preliminary document.
It does not ask countries involved in the 14,000-member UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) or the EUTM (European Union Training Mission) and EUCAP missions of the European Union to withdraw. However, its future is in doubt as French forces provide medical, air and security support.
Some EU countries have indicated that they are opposed to leaving Mali and discussions are ongoing to see if missions can be adapted.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, whose country represents the largest EUTM contingent in Mali, said the reasons for Europe’s involvement in the region still exist.
“Spain will make its voice heard in the EU. We believe the reasons that brought us to Mali are still there – instability, jihadism,” he said.
“It is desirable that we maintain a mission.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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