France hosts talks on Mali, considers withdrawing troops
By SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — France is hosting a dinner summit devoted to the fight against Islamic extremists in West Africa. French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with African and European counterparts at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on Wednesday. The discussion will address France’s potential troop withdrawal from Mali, the involvement of U.N. peacekeepers and the status of an EU training mission. An EU-Africa summit is scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Brussels. Tensions have grown between Mali, its African neighbors and the European Union, especially after Mali’s government allowed Russian mercenaries to deploy in its territory. France is considering withdrawing its troops while maintaining military operations in the broader Sahel region.