Macron suggests France may pull out troops from Mali

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested France will pull troops from Mali if the country’s institutional instability persists and inhibits the fight against Islamic extremists

PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday suggested France will pull troops from Mali if the country’s institutional instability persists and inhibits the fight against Islamic extremists. Macron told a news conference that “our priority in Mali is the fight against terrorism and the presence of our forces on the ground is not enough in this fight. It also requires the strengthening of stable and legitimate institutions.” France has more than 5,000 troops in Africa’s Sahel region. Macron's comments come a day after West African leaders suspended Mali from their regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, over what they said amounted to a coup last week.