France’s decision to suspend troop operations in Mali is linked to political instability in a West African country, where the army has carried out a second coup in the last year in late May. Paris has consulted with the Malian authorities and the military and will evaluate further action in the coming days. According to her, this is a preventive and transitional measure.
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Last weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that France would withdraw its troops from Mali altogether if political instability led to greater Islamist radicalization. According to him, Paris cannot support countries where there is no democratically elected government.
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Last week, the Constitutional Court in Mali appointed the military junta commander and current vice president Assim Goit as interim president. The former commander of the special forces had previously arrested the president and prime minister, carrying out the country’s second coup in nine months.
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In the African Sahel region, where governments are fighting against Islamic radicals, France has around 5,100 troops. Since 2013, the French army has been supporting forces in Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad.
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