France: two months before the presidential election, the announcement of the military withdrawal from Mali causes a stir
French soldiers at the Gao base in 2012. AP - Jerome Delay
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
After the announcement of Emmanuel Macron and his partners of a military withdrawal from Mali, the reactions were numerous, especially in France because they intervene two months before the presidential election.
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Less than two months before the first round of the French presidential election,
the announcement of Mali
's military withdrawal from
Operation Barkhane
provoked strong reactions from the majority party, as well as in the ranks of the opposition.
“
Our mission in the Sahel to fight against Islamism is not over
,” declared the LR candidate for the presidential election, Valérie Pécresse, on LCI.
She indicated that she wanted, as the Head of State announced at a press conference, that "
France remains in the Sahel
".
“
This decision to reorganize is a good decision, if it is to reorganize,
she added, believing that
if we abandon this land, then our soldiers will probably have died for nothing and that I will not accept
. .
Same story with the Socialist Party.
On France 2, the first secretary of the party praised "
a very useful operation
".
The French must remain "
in another form
" in the Sahelian strip, according to Olivier Faure.
For his part, the candidate of the French Communist Party believes that France “
must withdraw
” but that it “
must above all change policy
”.
"
The solution will not be military, it will be that of cooperation and development
", declared Fabien Roussel on Cnews before recalling his opposition and criticizing the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS following the coup.
"
It's a failure"
After nine years there, some present this withdrawal as a failure.
This is particularly the case of the candidate of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen.
“
It's a failure.
To be forced to leave after being so humiliated by the Malian government is a failure.
We could probably have changed strategy four or five years ago, which was not Emmanuel Macron's choice.
(...) We must organize this outing, whatever the cost!
“, estimated the candidate.
Jean-Christophe Lagarde (UDI) spoke of a "
dark day
" and considered that "
this departure also unfortunately signals the total failure of Mr. Macron's successive strategies
".
Mentioned during this Thursday's press conference, the term failure was "
challenged
" by Emmanuel Macron.
An opinion shared by Fabien Gouttefarde, LREM deputy and member of the defense committee of the National Assembly, who believes that the results of Operation Barkhane are good.
Our intervention in 2013 ensured that this state (Mali) did not fall definitively under the jihadist thumb.
Fabien Gouttefarde, LREM MP and member of the Defense Committee of the National Assembly
Anthony Latier
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