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| French troops in Mali |
PARIS, Feb 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France is withdrawing all its troops from Mali, where for years they have been helping combat a spreading insurgency.
A statement from Elysee Palace, the presidency, confirmed the move which was widely expected given recent bad blood between Bamako and Paris.
The announcement came ahead of an EU-Africa summit in Brussels. The action is said to be a coordinated withdrawal together with European allies and Canada.
France will, however, continue to participate in anti-terrorism operations in the wider Sahel region.
The allies say they want to extend the geographical scope of their support, including to the countries of the Gulf of Guinea. — NNN-AGENCIES
