Paris (TIP) : France will withdraw its troops from Mali nine years after it first intervened to drive Islamic extremists from power but intends to maintain a military presence in neighbouring West African nations, President Emmanuel Macron said on February 17.

Macron accused Mali’s ruling military junta of neglecting the fight against Islamic extremists and said it was logical for France to withdraw since its role was not to replace a sovereign state on the battlefield.

“Victory against terror is not possible if it’s not supported by the state itself,” the French leader told a press conference with EU and African Union officials. The so-called Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. A French Armed Forces spokesman said France ultimately aimed to reduce the number of its troops in the Sahel to 2,500-3,000. — AP