"I bow to their sacrifice," "they died for us all," said Emmanuel Macron solemnly Monday, during the ceremony at Invalides in honor of the 13 soldiers who died in Mali last week.
"They died in operation, for France, for the protection of the people of the Sahel, for the safety of their compatriots and for the freedom of the world, for all of us who are there," added the head of state, face 13 coffins in the courtyard of the Hôtel des Invalides, which has been home to veterans and war wounded since the 17th century.
>> Follow our live essentials on the tribute to the thirteen fallen soldiers in Mali