Mali - Sahel: Macron announces troops to leave after nine years - BBC News

France and its allies in a European force have announced that they are withdrawing their troops from Mali after almost a decade.

The troops have been involved in the fight against Islamist militants in the country.

Officials said the decision to leave followed a breakdown in diplomatic relations, amid growing hostility from Mali's new governing military junta.

The forces will be re-deployed across Africa's Sahel region.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, countries involved in the French-led Tabuka Taskforce agreed to set out plans on how to remain in the region, notably Niger and the Gulf of Guinea countries, by June 2022.