Paris, January 6 – French President Emmanuel Macron said he is still waiting for Sahelian nations to acknowledge France’s military efforts in stopping Islamist militants from overtaking the region. Macron made the remarks on Monday during a foreign policy address to French ambassadors in Paris.
Macron defended France’s 2013 intervention, which saw troops deployed to counter militant threats in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. “I think they forgot to thank us, but that’s okay, it will come in time,” he said with irony.
France has since withdrawn its forces from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso following a series of military coups in those nations. Troop pullouts are also underway in Chad, Senegal, and Ivory Coast.
Macron dismissed claims that France had been forced out of the region, insisting the changes were part of a strategic decision. “France is not on the back foot in Africa; it is simply reorganizing itself,” he said.
