France Completes Withdraw-troops from Mali Ending 8 years of Anti-terrorism Military Operations

According to AFP reports, at 13:00 on August 15 Paris time (19:00 on August 15, Beijing time), the last unit of the 'Crescent Dune' operation stationed in Mali left and entered Niger." The French said that the French army would continue to fight terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa with the support of Africa and the international community.  

According to the report, France launched the "Crescent Dune" military operation in the Sahel region in 2014, sending soldiers to fight terrorism. In June 2021, President Macron said that France would reduce the deployment of troops in the region and provide support for anti-terrorism operations of the local army. In February 2022, President Macron said that due to the multiple obstructions of the Mali authorities, France was unable to maintain military contact with Sahel region and the attitude of the Mali authorities forced France to withdraw.  

It is reported that during the peak period, the "Crescent Dune" operation deployed 5100 personnel in Sahel region. According to the French military, after the French army completely withdraws from Mali, 2500 French soldiers still remain in this region, of which more than 1000 will remain in Niger to provide air support and help fight against Jihadists.

However, the current security situation in the Sahel region, including Mali, is not optimistic. Data from relevant investigation institutions show that since the beginning of this year, more than 2000 civilians have been killed in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. On 10 August, the government of Mali stated that a military camp in the country was attacked, resulting in the death of 42 soldiers.