Macron announced that France will withdraw its troops from Mali nine years after it first intervened to remove Islamic groups from power but maintain a military presence in neighboring West African nations.

Accusing Malian authorities of neglecting the fight against armed groups, Macron claimed that it was logical for France to withdraw since its role is not to replace a sovereign state on the battlefield.

“We cannot remain militarily engaged alongside de facto authorities with whom we share neither the strategy nor the hidden objectives. This is the situation we face in Mali. The fight against terrorism should not justify everything,” Macron said.

France has about 4,300 soldiers in the Sahel region, including 2,400 in Mali. The so-called Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania, which are collectively referred to as the “G5 Sahel”.

Operation Barkhane started on 1 August 2014 and is led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region.

It consists of a roughly 5,000-strong French force, which is permanently headquartered in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. (ILKHA)