France, allies to withdraw from Mali

France and its allies fighting Islamist radicals in the West African nation of Mali have announced that they will begin a coordinated military withdrawal from the country.

France's President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris on Wednesday with European and African partners involved in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.

The partners, including 14 European nations, agreed it was time to end a nine-year counter-insurgency operation, amid growing tensions with Mali's military junta, reported the Reuters news agency.

A joint statement said France and its partners will "continue their joint action against terrorism in the Sahel region, including in Niger and in the Gulf of Guinea", and would set out plans about how to remain in the region by June.

"Due to multiple obstructions by the Malian transitional authorities, Canada and the European States operating alongside Operation Barkhane and within the Task Force Takuba deem that the political, operational and legal conditions are no longer met to effectively continue their current military engagement in the fight against terrorism in Mali," the statement read.

Reuters reported that relations between France and Mali have worsened since its military regime reneged on an agreement to hold elections in February and proposed remaining in power until 2025.

It said Mali had utilized Russian private military freelancers, which some European countries have said is discordant with their operations there.

The situation deteriorated further in recent weeks after the country's government expelled France's ambassador, noted the Politico news site. It said this prompted "celebrations in the streets" of the capital Bamako and protests against the presence of French troops. There are more than 3,500 French troops presently stationed in Mali, according to the Elysee.

French governments have long argued that the operation was important for preventing jihadist threats in Europe, as well as for regional security, noted The Guardian.

Macron insisted the withdrawal did not indicate a failure of the mission fighting against terrorism in the region.

Speaking during a news conference after the meeting, Macron said: "The heart of this military operation will no longer be in Mali but in Niger."

When asked if the mission had failed, he said: "I completely reject this term."

He added that the departure from Mali would take four to six months, during which time there would be "fewer operations against Islamist militants in the Sahel".

Reuters noted that questions remain about the future of the separate 14,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region, and the European Union's missions, as these depend on French forces for medical and aerial support.

The withdrawal of French troops marks a loss of influence for Paris and Europe as a whole in Africa, said the Agence France-Presse news service.