The French General Staff has announced the withdrawal of the last French soldiers from Forces Barhane from Mali, according to the French Press Agency (AFP).

On June 14, the French General Staff announced that the French army would officially withdraw from the Menaka military base in northeastern Mali, as the withdrawal from this base represents the penultimate stage in the withdrawal of the French Barhan forces from the country.

“French soldiers will leave Mali forever at the end of the summer with the handover of their main stronghold in Gao to the Malian armed forces,” said General Staff spokesman Pascal Yani during a press conference. This is reported by the French news agency.

It is worth noting that in February last year, France announced the withdrawal of its troops from Mali and the cessation of military operations against armed groups, as northern Mali has experienced waves of violence and attacks since the military coup in 2012. The violence led to the control of armed groups in some areas.