French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France will close all military bases in the Sahel region in 2022 as part of its reconfiguration of the country’s military involvement in Africa.
Macron announced the military shutdown, including the reduction of troops and the closure of bases during a press conference with Nigerian President Mohamed Bazoum at the end of the G5 Sahel summit in Paris.
The transition is necessary at the end of France’s operation Barkhane in the Sahel, which Macron announced last month. The renovation will mean a reduction in France’s northernmost military footprint in Mali starting in the next few weeks and will be completed in early 2022, Macron said.
France has troops in Kidal, Tessalit and Timbuktu that will be “gradually banned.” Eventually, there will be “between 2,500 and 3,000” troops in the region from the current force of 5,100.
Macron reiterated that even with a reduced presence, France remains “engaged in the Sahel” at the request of states in the region.
He also expressed concern and distrust over the political situation in Mali following a coup led by Colonel Assimi Goita, who was recently sworn in as president of a transitional government.
France resumed joint military operations in Mali after being briefly suspended last month after receiving guarantees of a democratic transition from the African Union and the economic community of West African states.
The French military will mainly focus on two missions: dismantling the al-Qaeda and Daesh presence in the region and strengthening the armies of the G5 states by training, equipping and advising.
The fight against terrorism will be led by the European Special Joint Working Group, Takuba, including French troops with G5 Sahel armies from the Niamey command post.
The progress of the two missions will ultimately lead to the closure of Operation Barkhane, which was launched in August 2014.
However, France will continue to maintain an air and land military presence in Chad, which formed the base for Barkhane, enabling France to work across borders in Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. Since the intervention in 2013 to prevent rebel groups from taking over northern Mali, France has deepened its military involvement in the Sahel region.
The constant presence without end in sight has seen attacks on French troops with at least 50 deaths and resistance from French politicians as well as certain sections of African societies.
In January, a UN commission of inquiry accused the French military of carrying out an air strike that killed civilians instead of armed members of terrorist groups.
.
