France had announced that the counter-terrorism mission it leads in the Sahel-Operation Barkhane, will see its numbers fall from five thousand one hundred to two thousand five hundred and even three thousand over the next few months.
Speaking earlier at the UN general assembly in New York, Maïga criticized the unilateral announcement, adding that it led to country to explore pathways and means to better ensure its security autonomously, or with other partners.
This has been interpreted as a reference to Mali reportedly asking Russian mercenaries to train its military and boost national security, despite recent reports of abuses by Russian mercenaries elsewhere in the continent.
