Takuba force and Malian army which led to 30 suspected Islamist militants being killed." Leaving

to contribute." The real novelty with Takuba is that these units can be sent to combat, which is a

destroyed during joint operations between the French-led Takuba task force and Malian soldiers last week

PARIS( Reuters)-France and 14 other countries urged Mali late on Wednesday to allow Danish special forces to remain in the African country, but its transitional government insisted on an immediate withdrawal.In response to Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod saying on Tuesday that the troops were there by a" clear invitation," the Malian government said it was surprised because a decision on the Danish request in June to deploy troops was still pending." No accord authorizes the deployment of Da

France’s announcement Thursday that it will withdraw its troops from Mali was anticipated by many in this West African nation where Malians have protested the presence of soldiers from the former colonial power.... But politicians and experts worry the French pull-out will result in a security vacuum that will embolden jihadi groups to increase their power.... He told The Associated Press he heard with regret French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement Thursday that France will withdraw it

France and its European partners fighting Islamist militants in Mali will start their military withdrawal from the country and will put together by June a plan on how they will continue their operations in the region, a joint statement said on Thursday. Relations between Paris and Bamako have deteriorated since the military junta went back on an agreement to organise an election in February and proposed holding power until 2025.... It has also deployed Russian private military contractors, whic

France has about 4, 300 troops in the Sahel region, including 2, 400 in Mali.... The so-called Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.... Advertisement Macron said the French pullout would be done “ in an orderly manner ” in coordination with the Malian military....

DAKAR( Reuters)-France and military allies are leaving Mali after using it for almost a decade as a base for fighting Islamist insurgents who continue to wreak havoc and control swathes of territory around West Africa. WHICH GROUPS ARE PRESENT?... Islamists including al Qaeda's North African wing AQIM hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali in 2012.... The fighters were pushed back by French forces but regrouped and in 2015 unleashed violence in north and central Mali....

One soldier even used the occasion to propose to his girlfriend on the cobblestoned avenue, kneeling and kissing her hand. The virus was never far away, however.... Each person attending had to show a special pass proving they had been fully vaccinated, had recently recovered from the virus or a had negative virus test.... Some cheers rose up from civilian onlookers as Macron rode past restaurants, luxury boutiques and movie theaters that were shuttered for much of the last year and a half. Bu

French President Emmanuel Macron, left in car, and French Chief of Staff Gen.... Francois Lecointre stand in the command car and review the troops during the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue, on July 14, 2021 in Paris.... One soldier even used the occasion to propose to his girlfriend on the cobblestoned avenue, kneeling and kissing her hand....