Ahead of Mali withdrawal, France prepares future Sahel strategy - SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader.

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French officials head to Niger on Friday to redefine the country’s strategy to fight militants in the Sahel as thousands of troops complete a withdrawal from Mali and concerns mount over the growing threat to coastal West African states.

A French soldier stands guard in a watchtower at the Relay Desert Platform Camp during Operation Barkhane in Gossi, Mali, July 30, 2019.A French soldier stands guard in a watchtower at the Relay Desert Platform Camp during Operation Barkhane in Gossi, Mali, July 30, 2019.

With the withdrawal expected to be completed by the end of the summer, France’s new Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrive in Niger on Friday to seal a regional redeployment. “Beyond Mali, the democratic decline in West Africa is extremely worrying with successive putsches in Mali twice, in Guinea in September 2021, in Burkina Faso in January of this year. France will nevertheless continue despite these events, this withdrawal from Mali, to help West African armies fight against terrorist groups,” Colonna told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday.

French officials said the onus going forward would be on regional countries to lead on security, while also focusing more on development, good governance and education. The ministers would announce 50 million euro aid to enhance the electricity network in Niger as well as budgetary support.

 

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France must get the out of Africa.

As long as they still have oil they will never have peace. Which country does and there are a oil producing.

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