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00:00French troops arrived in Mali in 2013 after the Malian government asked for military assistance to help fend off a jihadist insurgency.
00:17The Barkan force was created not just to fight terror groups but also to train national security forces.
00:24At the height of the mission, the number of French troops reached 5,100.
00:30At first, they helped slow down the advance of jihadist groups and secure large cities.
00:36But the areas to cover were vast.
00:39In following years, French troops and national armies were unable to stop terror organizations from expanding.
00:46In 2022, after military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and later in Niger, French troops were told to leave.
00:59What has our country gained from the presence of Barkan?
01:03If we can say the problem has not worsened, I believe that we have not seen a military solution.
01:11Several countries have grown closer to Moscow, with Russian mercenaries deploying on the ground.
01:18In recent months, France has been reshaping its military alliances in the countries where it's still deployed,
01:25focusing on training and strategy, like here in Gabon.
01:33Our partnership needs to be revised and adapted to today's context.
01:40This week, France presented a plan scaling back its military presence in four countries,
01:46but two of them, Senegal and Chad, now say they no longer want any foreign military base in their territory,
01:53which means France will have to pull out all of its troops from those countries.