Here are the first political reactions in France after the formalization by France and its European partners on Thursday of their military withdrawal from Mali, after nine years of anti-jihadist struggle.
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Valérie Pécresse (LR presidential candidate on LCI):
“Our mission in the Sahel to fight against Islamism is not over, I hope that France will stay in the Sahel, that our soldiers who have paid the price of blood, I want these soldiers to be able to continue this fight against Islamism, jihadism in the Sahel. On the other hand, I think that the way France is treated by the Malian junta is not dignified and that we cannot pay blood money for a country that does not want you. This decision to reorganize is a good decision, if it is to reorganize. But we must not leave as the Americans did in Afghanistan, we must not abandon this terrain on which France defends universal values. We must stay in the Sahel. If we abandon this land then our soldiers will probably have died for nothing and that I will not accept.“.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI candidate, in a press release): described France’s military withdrawal from Mali as “pitiful“, and considers that it constitutes a balance sheet “overwhelming” for the “Dutch duo Macron“. The rebellious presidential candidate pointed out that the “disaster” was “largely predictable“. “Such is the price of the vainglory of some. These have transformed a one-off military operation into an expedition with no political perspective other than to show off in Paris.“, he added.
Fabien Roussel (PCF candidate, on Cnews):
“France must withdraw in a concerted manner from Mali, even from the Sahel, do so in consultation with these countries, it must above all change its policy, the world has changed, Africa has changed, France has not changed, t is still France-Africa, the solution will not be military, it will be that of cooperation and development. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States, editor’s note) is imposing a blockade today in Mali, this blockade will first impoverish the populations, and we oppose this blockade, I regret that Jean- Yves Le Drian supports him“.
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Olivier Faure (First Secretary of the PS, on France 2): paid tribute to the Operation Barkhane fighters who disappeared in the Sahel, who defended, “our values, our freedoms and the possibility for Malians to live outside submission to jihadism“. “It was a very useful operation. The French must remain in another form in the Sahelian strip, even if with Mali it has become more complicated. We will have to continue to maintain a presence because it is requested and desirable for our collective security.“.
Guillaume Lacroix (president of the PRG on Twitter):
“After years of fighting for our security and our freedoms in the face of the jihadists who are settling in the Sahel, France is confirming its military withdrawal from Mali. My concern is immense. My thoughts are with the 58 soldiers who fell for us.»
Jean-Christophe Lagarde (President of the UDI, on Twitter):
“The departure of the French Army had become inevitable, despite the enormous work of our soldiers, in the face of a usurped Malian power which feeds on shameless anti-French propaganda. Unfortunately, this departure also signals the total failure of Mr. Macron’s successive strategies. gloomy day»
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