Today, Friday, the Malian government called on France to withdraw its soldiers "immediately" from Mali, a day after Paris and its partners announced a phased withdrawal in the coming months, and French President Emmanuel Macron did not delay in responding to the financial request.
The government of Mali said that France's unilateral decision to withdraw the forces of Operation Barkhane and the Takoba force constitutes a flagrant violation of the legal framework linking the two countries, and between Mali and other partners.
A statement from the Malian government said that in light of the repeated violations of this agreement, Mali calls on France to withdraw these forces without delay, and under the supervision of the Malian authorities.
The statement indicated that after 9 years of the presence of French forces in Mali, the security threats have expanded from the north of the country to cover all regions.
The statement stressed that the transitional authority has begun to take measures that allowed for the strengthening of security, with the aim of creating the appropriate conditions for holding the elections.
We will withdraw from Mali "in an orderly manner."
French President Emmanuel Macron did not delay in responding to the financial statement;
On Friday, he said that France would withdraw its forces from Mali "in an orderly manner", in response to a request by the ruling military junta in Bamako that French forces leave "without delay".
Macron said - during a press conference after a summit in Brussels - that "the French soldiers will withdraw in a way that will allow them to continue to provide protection for the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and other foreign forces in the country."
"I will not compromise for any moment" on their security, he added, stressing the need to ensure the security of the UN and French forces during the withdrawal process.
He stressed that the withdrawal process must be carried out in a respectful manner, "because for 9 years France has supported Mali, trained its army and provided it with weapons."
"Our deployment will be within kilometers of the border in Niger, and we will continue our efforts to fight terrorism," he added.
withdrawal effects
For his part, Senegalese President Macky Sall - who is the current chair of the African Union - pointed to the consequences of the withdrawal of European forces from Mali, and its impact on security in the Sahel and in Africa.
He wondered who would guarantee the security of the UN forces operating within the framework of the peacekeeping mission, and the fight against terrorist groups was not included in this mission?
How can the Malian army alone defend its territory without logistical and intelligence support?
He concluded that we "must look clearly at the implications of decisions made".
Yesterday, Thursday, France and its European partners and Canada announced their military withdrawal from Mali and the end of the "Barkhane" and "Takoba" military operations to combat "jihadists", after 9 years of French military intervention in Mali to combat armed Islamist groups.