LFrance has left Mali. The last French military base, located in the city of Gao, in the north of the country, was evacuated and handed over to the Malian authorities, noted the special envoy of the Point In the region. A press release from the French general staff confirms the news and specifies that the last French soldier has left the country: “The last detachment of the Barkhane force present on Malian soil has crossed the border between Mali and Niger. […] This major logistical challenge was met in good order and in safety, as well as in total transparency with all the partners. »
Launched on February 17, 2022 by President Emmanuel Macron, the withdrawal from the country became effective on Monday. In recent weeks, air and land convoys have been linked between the Gao base and Niger. The Élysée ensures that France remains committed to the Sahel and the rest of Africa “with all the partners committed to stability and the fight against terrorism”. French forces are still deployed in Chad and Niger, described as “essential partners” by the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
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Pushed out by a hostile Malian junta, which came to power after two coups in 2020 and 2021, the French have gradually ended their operations in the country after nine years of uninterrupted presence. Kidal, Tessalit, Timbuktu, Gossi, Ménaka… One by one, the French rights of way on Malian soil were evacuated before the closure on Monday August 15 of the large base in Gao.
In a press release, the Elysée welcomes the success of the evacuation operation. “The President of the Republic salutes the success of this operational and logistical withdrawal maneuver from Mali that our armies have carried out according to the announced schedule, without ceasing their fight against terrorist groups and by very significantly increasing their contribution to securing eastern Europe.
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Operation Barkhane, which succeeded Operation Serval launched in 2013, made it possible to fight for nine years against jihadist groups in the Sahel and to secure certain areas of Malian territory. But relations with the Malian state, which called on France for help in 2013, have deteriorated since the junta came to power, and anti-French sentiment has grown steadily in the country. Several dozen people demonstrated again on Sunday August 14 in Gao to demand an acceleration of the departure of the French military force Barkhane.
This withdrawal comes in the midst of an outbreak of violence in the Sahel. More than 2,000 civilians have been killed in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso since the start of the year, already more than the 2,021 recorded for the whole of 2021, according to AFP calculations from a compilation of the specialized NGO Acled. About 2,500 French soldiers will be kept in the Sahel, despite the departure from Mali, compared to more than 5,000 two years ago.