Macron Declares End To Anti-Terror Operation In W. Africa

French President Emmanuel Macron has formally concluded a decade-long counterterrorism operation in West Africa, reports France 24.

During a ceremony at the French naval base in Toulon, Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane following the withdrawal of French forces from Mali earlier this year.

The Malian military government, which seized power in a coup last year, had ordered France to pull out its troops.

Around 3,000 troops remain in Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger to support the battle against Islamist militants in those countries.

Officials told Agence France-Presse that France will employ a new, lower-visibility counterterror strategy in the region focused on equipment, training and intelligence support and operational partnerships with those countries that are interested.