France Has No Plans To Retain Military Presence In Mali For Long Lime - Macron

France Has No Plans to Retain Military Presence in Mali for Long Lime - Macron

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2021) France has no intention to retain its military presence in Mali for a long time, President Emmanuel Macron said.

"We have no intention to remain (in Mali), that is why we are closing the bases.

Our work in Tessalit or Kidal (northern Mali) is not aimed at retaining bases," Macron said on the sidelines of the Africa-France summit in Montpellier on late Friday.

The French president added that Paris wanted to leave the bases in Mali as soon as possible but that required a strong state in Mali and significant investment projects in this country.

France has been conducting Operation Barkhane against terrorist groups in the Sahel region - Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - since August 1, 2014.