A French-led mission of 14 mainly European nations with 600-900 soldiers in Mali is also winding up. President Emmanuel Macron said the withdrawal would take four to six months, during which time there would be fewer operations against jihadists. The fight would continue from Niger which had agreed to host European forces on the border near Mali and Burkina Faso, Macron told a news conference. Mali’s armed forces spokesperson Souleymane Dembele shrugged off France’s announcement, saying European troops had failed. “I think that there has been no military solution, because terrorism has engulfed the entire territory of Mali,” he said.

Source: Ethiopian News February 18, 2022 16:36 UTC