French troops will leave Timbuktu on Tuesday in what is a major drawdown nine years deployment in the sahelian nation. But after leaving the Kidal and Tessal bases in north Mali, French troops are now packing up in Timbuktu, the last of three bases in the far north of the country. But now French troops are leaving their base in Timbuktu, raising questions about the future of jihadist activity as militants put down roots in the countryside. Mathieu, a French sergeant, was part of the original contingent of French soldiers who arrived in Mali, and has returned to the Timbuktu base for the handover ceremony. In November, protesters in Burkina Faso and Niger hampered a large French military supply convoy travelling from Ivory Coast to Mali.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 14, 2021 22:48 UTC