French President Emmanuel Macron has said that without France’s military operations in the Sahel “there would probably no longer be a Mali, Burkina Faso, and I’m not sure there would still be Niger,” while he spoke to the French publication, Le Point.
Macron is referring to the French military interventions in the Sahel region in the mid-2000s, known as Operations Serval and Barkhane.
The French military withdrew its troops from Mali and relocated them to Niger after the military government severed ties with France.
He made known that the interventions were made “at the request of African states” and were “successful” as his policy is facing scrutiny in the face of losing the allyship of the last remaining ally, Niger, and increasing negative sentiment from Africans.
He went on to explain that while these operations reflect France’s “honour” and “responsibility”, Frace can no longer continue to do so when a coup d’état has occurred and the new regime is not committed to fighting terrorism even though this is “tragic for the states concerned”.
In the interview, Macron argued that his administration’s policy in the Sahel is focused on building partnerships with African countries, rather than simply providing security.
France has not yet acknowledged the announcement by coup leader General Abdorahman Tchiani that all military agreements between Niger and France have been terminated. More than a thousand French troops remain stationed at a military base in Niger.