France’s Macron rules out immediate troop drawdown from Sahel

Al Jazeera English published this video item, entitled “France’s Macron rules out immediate troop drawdown from Sahel” – below is their description.

The French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out an immediate reduction in French forces fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Macron told regional leaders at a virtual summit of so-called G5 Sahel countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger – that a sudden troop cutback would be a mistake.

But he warned that cuts are likely to follow.

After eight years of being stationed in the Sahel region France is seeking to get out even as the influence of these hardline groups has spread.

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Lagos, Nigeria.

The French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out an immediate reduction in French forces fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Macron told regional leaders at a virtual summit of so-called G5 Sahel countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger – that a sudden troop cutback would be a mistake.

But he warned that cuts are likely to follow.

After eight years of being stationed in the Sahel region France is seeking to get out even as the influence of these hardline groups has spread.

Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Lagos, Nigeria.

Al Jazeera English YouTube Channel

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About This Source - Al Jazeera English

The video item below is a piece of English language content from Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera is a Qatari state-funded broadcaster based in Doha, Qatar, owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network.

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