Mali : Barkhane Forces Depart From Tessalit

Barkhane forces have transferred the control of a military base in north eastern Mali to the Malian army as part of a move to reorganize French forces deployed in the Sahel region under “Operation Barkhane”. It is the second military base the French are handing over to the Malian authorities. A third base, in Timbuktu, will be handed by the end of the year. In a statement on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, the French military chief of staff, General Etienne du Peyroux said, “The Barkhane counter terrorism force has handed over the base in Tessalit after adaptation sessions, after that of Kidal, the camp occupied by the Barkhane force in Tessalit was transferred on Nov. 13 to the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), while the last French soldiers left the site on Nov. 15,” he said.
The French military chief told RFI that the transfer was, “gradual, controlled and closely coordinated with FAMa and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), whose contingent of several hundred soldiers is permanently deployed in Tessalit.” The handover of the base to Malian soldiers, according to the French authority, is part of the combat partnership between the French and Malian forces after several weeks of “training sessions” were conducted with Malian soldiers. The objective between the two forces RFI reports was to share their know-how and prepare for the full assumption of the hold by a reinforced FAMa company. 
On June 10, 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Ba...