France To Cut Mali Troops To 1,000 By Year-End -- Reuters
(Reuters) - France will reduce its troop numbers in Mali to 2,000 by July and to 1,000 by the end of the year, down from 4,000 at present, President Francois Hollande said on Thursday.
After its intervention in January to halt an advance by northern al Qaeda-linked rebels towards the capital Bamako, France is keen to wind down its presence quickly and hand over to African and U.N. troops.
Hollande said France was determined that Mali should hold elections as scheduled in July but insisted that France did not have a preferred candidate.
"The days when France chose Africa's heads of state for it are over," he told French television in an interview of more than one hour to defend his 10-month-old government's record.
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More News On The Conflict In Mali
French troops to remain in Mali all year. -- The Telegraph
French Intervention In Mali To Continue Through End Of 2013, Hollande Says 1,000 Troops Will Remain -- Huffington Post/AP
France to cut troop levels in Mali -- CNN
France to reduce troop levels in Mali -- UPI
Mali conflict: Hollande sets French troop timetable -- BBC
France may permanently station soldiers in Mali -- RT
63 soldiers, 600 Islamists dead since January: Malian army -- Times of India/AFP
UN Considers Mali Stabilization Mission -- Voice of America
UN’s Ban Recommends Putting 11,200 Peacekeepers in Mali -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Mali: UN's Ban Ki-Moon - 11,200 Peacekeepers Could Be Needed for Mali -- allAfrica.com
Ban calls for peacekeepers in Mali -- UPI
Ban proposes Mali peacekeeping force -- Al Jazeera
British troops arrive in Mali -- UPI
UK troops arrive in Mali to help train soldiers -- BBC
Mali secular rebels who oppose military presence in north Kidal region appoint administrator -- Washington Post/AP
Mali’s coup leader: ‘Coup isn’t a nice word’ -- Max Fisher, Washington Post