France not ruling out pulling forces from Burkina

Paris: France has not ruled out withdrawing its special forces in Burkina Faso, where protests against the French military presence have been increasing, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in an interview published Sunday.

“The review of our overall strategy in Africa requires us to question all aspects of our presence, including our special forces,” Lecornu told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. The Sabre unit based near Burkina´s capital Ouagadougou “has played a key role in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel”, Lecornu added.

But resentment has been growing in the former French colony after years of anti-jihadist efforts that have failed to stop insurgency attacks that killed thousands of people and forced millions of others from their homes.

French President Emmanuel Macron this month officially ended the Barkhane operation that has been assisting Sahel countries to fight the Islamist insurgencies, announcing a six-month review of France´s military strategy for the region.