Islam Times - France Leaves Mali, Ending Operation Barkhane

Islam Times - France pulled the last of its troops out of Mali on Monday, bringing the country's Operation Barkhane to an end.

The last detachment of the Barkhane force present on Malian soil crossed the border between Mali and Niger," said a press release by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, announcing the end of nine years of military presence with 2,400 soldiers stationed in the North African country.

The government of Mali recently published a statement accusing foreign forces, especially French military, of cooperating with separatist terrorist groups in northern Mali, violence against civilians and failure to fight against terrorist groups.

France has been present in Mali since mid-2013 under the pretext of fighting terrorism, but terrorists are still active in this country and have even expanded their terrorist activities from Mali to Niger and Burkina Faso.