Mali: French President Declares Victory Over Jihadists
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Version 0 of 1. President François Hollande of France declared Thursday that the war against Islamic extremists had been won in Mali, though he vowed to keep French forces in the country as long as the threat existed. Mr. Hollande spoke at the inauguration of Mali’s president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Islamic militant groups were able to seize control of northern Mali after a March 2012 coup. As they threatened to push farther south, France launched a military operation in January that was joined by other countries, forcing the jihadists to retreat. But some analysts cast doubt on Mr. Hollande’s claim of victory. There are “persistent reports that jihadists have either started filtering back into Mali or never left,” said Andrew Lebovich, an expert on the region. |