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Mali Conflict: French forces begin Mali withdrawal completely / Africa News

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The French army in Mali has begun withdrawing from their base in the Malian capital Bamako, this time, in a convoy of many military vehicles.

The convoy according to local reporters headed to the south where it is believe there were on their way to the Ivory Coast.

It is however unclear what the troops will be doing in Ivory Coast but there have been suggestions from political analyst that the troops will assist in providing some military advice to the Ivorian military before eventually departing to Paris.

But an anonymous French source insisted that they are simply carrying equipment and vehicles that are surplus to requirements to the Ivorian military before flying home.

The French military aided the arrest of former president and now in The Hague, Laurent Gbagbo who refused to step down after the disputed elections in 2011.

Mr. Gbagbo together with his wife Simone Gbagbo are facing trial for crime against humanity but his wife is being held in a detention centre in the Ivory Coast while Gbagbo himself still remains in The Hague.

France began withdrawing some of its 4,000 troops who was deployed in January to battle militants who took advantage of a coup d’état to cause chaos from the country in April.

France has planned to gradually hand over to the Malian army and a UN peacekeeping force, which will be deployed in July ahead of planned nationwide elections.

The French and Malian soldiers have been able to force the militants out of the urban areas but some of them retreated to hideouts in the mountains and desert from where they have been launching surprised attacks on troops battling them.

France still has 3,800 troops in Mali and says their number will be down to 2,000 by September and 1,000 by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, this withdrawal comes just two days after militants in neighboring Niger targeted an army barracks and French-run uranium mine killing 21 people.

The Algerian fearful militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar is reported officially to have masterminded the two suicide bombings in Niger on Thursday.

The bombers targeted a military base in Agadez and the French-run uranium mine in Arlit, killing 21 people and leaving many injured.

Many have questioned the French withdrawal as some suggest that they should have waited for the UN- peacekeeping force to be deploy in July before they would have began to withdraw from the country.

Mali received a pledge of more than $4bn at an international donor conference last week in Brussels to fund the Malian government’s plan for a total rebuilding of the country, which include rebuilding of government institutions, repairing damaged infrastructure, organizing presidential elections, holding dialogue with rebel groups in the north and stimulating the country’s economy.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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