Macron threatens to withdraw French troops from Mali
President Emmanuel Macron has warned that France would withdraw troops from Mali if political instability there leads to greater Islamist radicalization.
Mr. Macron warned of the risk of Mali, “moving towards” greater Islamist influence.
France has 5,100 troops in the Sahel region which has been a front line in the war against Islamist militancy.
French troops have been supporting forces in Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad to battle militants in the Sahel region since 2013.
For decades, France has provided military support to back leaders of its former colonies in Africa, often sending troops or dispatching air strikes to counter armed rebels.
Coup leader Colonel Assimi Goita was named transitional president by the constitutional court on Friday, two days after he declared himself the interim leader.
He defended the removal of President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Quane as necessary because they have failed in their duties and were seeking to sabotage the country’s transition.
A coup in 2012 led to militant Islamists exploiting the chaos and seizing the north of the country. French troops helped regain territory, but attacks have continued as the insurgents have capitalized on the persistent political instability in the region.
