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
France will begin a gradual withdrawal of its troops in the Sahel region of West Africa as part of a plan to put to an end its eight-year operation dubbed ‘Barkhane’.
French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement on Thursday during a press conference. He said the plan is to replace the French troops with a broader international mission, without immediately providing further details.
