French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he wanted a ‘rethink of all our [military] postures on the African continent’, and had asked his ministers and army chiefs to work on it.
Macron made the comments as he was addressing French troops ahead of the July 14 Bastille Day parade in Paris.
French officials head to Niger on Friday to redefine the country’s strategy to fight Islamist militants in the Sahel as thousands of troops complete a withdrawal from Mali and concerns mount over the growing threat to coastal west African states.
This is just as it emerged that Macron’s increased military commitment to eastern Europe is happening at the same time as a France reduces troops in Africa’s Sahel region.
Paris will keep no more than 2,300 troops there by the end of the summer, down from more than 5,000 a year ago.
Troops representing France’s contingent on NATO’s eastern flank will is being rigorously pursued.
Paris expedited the deployment of 500 troops to Romania days after the Russian attack on Ukraine, and has signalled its readiness to boost numbers if needed.
France also participates in ground and air operations in Estonia, and has sent Rafale fighter jets to bolster Poland’s air defences.