Mali’s ruling military junta on Friday said the military pull-out by France would usher in an era of improved security in the West African country, reported The TRT World.
In a statement released on Friday, Mali’s government spokesperson Abdoulaye Maiga said the government “takes note of this final withdrawal”.
It “reassures the Malian population that, thanks to the rise in power of the brave Malian forces, more successes will be recorded against the terrorist groups,” he said.
The spokesperson ensured that people’s security will be considerably improved after the pull-out.
The statement came after France said on Monday that its last remaining troops had quit Mali. It said its anti-militant Barkhane operation in the Sahel region would retain around 3,000 troops even after the Mali drawdown, many of them based in Niger.
The French military added that the mission was undergoing a “deep transformation” but would “continue to fight terrorism” in the region.
Notably, the political relations between Mali and France began turning sour following two military coups in Mali since 2020.
The arrival of Russian paramilitaries in the Sahel country at the invitation of the government was a key factor in France’s decision to pull out its forces.
Earlier this week, Mali’s military junta accused France of violating its airspace and delivering weapons to armed groups.
In a letter to the head of the United Nations Security Council, Mali’s foreign affairs minister, Abdoulaye Diop, said its airspace has been breached more than 50 times this year, mostly by French forces using drones, military helicopters and fighter jets.
He also alleged France was collecting “intelligence for the benefit of terrorist groups” operating in Mali and was carrying out “espionage” and “intimidation” of the Malian Armed Forces.
France has condemned what it describes as obviously unfounded accusations. The French government claimed that it will relentlessly pursue the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa.
