French Flags Burned in Protest against France's Presence in Mali (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Thousands of protesters marched in Bamako on Friday opposing French interference in political matters in Mali and its presence in the country.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bamako to demonstrate against the French military presence in Mali, calling for the total withdrawal of French troops from the country, Africa News reported.
Demonstrators carried banners, signs, some targeting France with the country's flags seen burnt.
France deployed troops to Mali in 2013 to help drive out militants who had occupied the north of the country after hijacking a Tuareg rebellion.
Though the fighters have been pushed from main towns, Mali has failed to stabilize while the militants have regrouped and have carried out attacks in a prolonged insurgency.
The violence has spread to neighboring states, stoked ethnic and intercommunal tensions, and rendered large swathes of the country’s semi-arid north ungovernable.
A military coup last year in Mali has complicated matters further, and the junta's leaders have faced criticism from France and the African Union
France has begun to withdraw its troops from Mali in "Operation Barkhane".
The 5,100 French troops based in country will be reduced to 3,000.
