The outrage also has been directed at former colonizer France, which has kept 5,000 soldiers in West Africa’s Sahel region as part of a long-term effort to stabilize it. The French military presence in the Sahel region has cost more than 30 French lives. This year has seen a surge of deadly assaults on Mali’s military posts. “We believe that one of the motivations for these attacks is the search for weapons held by our military,” the official said. Some fear that goal may be more reachable now that Mali’s military is leaving some isolated areas.

Source: International New York Times November 16, 2019 09:33 UTC