France has withdrawn the last soldiers of its anti-terrorist operation "Barkhane" in Mali.
The Elysée Palace said they left the West African country on Monday afternoon.
France announced its withdrawal after nine years in February due to considerable tensions, but intends to remain involved in the Sahel.
A number of armed groups are active in the Sahel region, which stretches south of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.
Some have pledged allegiance to the terrorist groups Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda.
In addition to the anti-terrorist missions, the EU training mission EUTM and the UN stabilization mission Minusma are also underway in Mali.
Mali, with around 20 million inhabitants, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered to be extremely unstable politically.
Since the most recent coup in May 2021, the country has been led by an interim military government tasked with maintaining close ties with Russia.
On Friday, the Bundeswehr suspended its mission in Mali until further notice because the Malian government had repeatedly refused overflight rights.