Mali calls on France to withdraw forces without delay

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Mali's transitional government asked France on Friday to withdraw its forces from the Sahel state "without delay", calling into question Paris' plans to pull out over several months. 

A government spokesperson added in a statement announced on public television that the results of France's nine-year military engagement in Mali were "not satisfactory". 

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he was withdrawing troops from Mali after a breakdown in relations with the nation's ruling military junta.

France's intervention

France first intervened in Mali in 2013 to combat the "insurgency" that emerged one year prior.

It currently has thousands of troops stationed across the Sahel, with the majority in Mali.

However, relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply after Mali's army seized power in a coup in 2020.

The French pullout after nearly a decade is also set to see the smaller European Takuba group of special forces, created in 2020, leave Mali. 

A "flagrant violation"

Macron said the withdrawal would take place over four to six months. 

Spokesperson Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga described the prolonged French withdrawal as a "flagrant violation" of accords between the two countries. 

"In view of these repeated breaches of defense agreements, the government invites the French authorities to withdraw, without delay," he said.

Mali has also asked the smaller Takuba force to depart quickly.

Macron responded with a statement saying he would not compromise the safety of French soldiers and the withdrawal will take place "in orderly fashion."

Russian forces as part of bilateral agreement

Last month, a Malian army spokesperson announced the arrival of Russian soldiers to the northern city of Timbuktu to train Malian forces at a base from which French forces withdrew last month.

The Malian government said Russian forces are in the country as part of a bilateral agreement.