Mali – On Tuesday, the French officials at the military base in the Malian city of Tumbuktu handed over the keys to controlling after taking charge of the area for the last nine years It was a huge deal for the military camp and hence the occasion was celebrated with a ceremony at a place near the city’s airport.
After nearly a decade the Malian flag was raised as the French flag was lowered and the soldiers present on ground gave their share of respect. There were nearly 150 troops left in the city after France had ordered the withdrawal of troops from the region. The French made it one of its colonies after liberation from the Islamists in 2013.
To mark the format agreement, the head of France’s Operation Barkhane anti-jihadist campaign in Mali Etienne du Peyroux shook hands with the new camp commander and handed him over a huge woden key as the French military plabe came down touching the ground to make an exit.
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The French forces have already left other areas in the Northern towns Kidal and Tessalit this year and despite the jihadist-driven violence in the Sahel state, there have been no signs of any ease in the department. These were the areas that witnessed the most amount of jihadist-driven violence in Sahel state.
Since 2013, France had deployed over 5,000 troops across the Sahel region including Mali with the aim to support the local government especially given the terrible defense sector that they had. “This is ultimately the aim of Operation Barkhane: to allow Mali to take its destiny into its own hands… but always in partnership,” said du Peyroux.
