This week, the European authorities are making several decisions regarding their military presence in Africa and especially in the sub-Saharan region. France is handling a difficult situation in Mali, where the military junta wants the departure of the French military contingent and relies on Russian mercenaries for the fight against terrorism.On Monday, the 14th of February, the European Union's foreign ministers discussed in a video conference the future of the Takuba Taskforce, made up of troops from 15 European countries, trained for the anti-jihadist fight in Mali.
The presidents of five Sahel countries, as well as several other African and European leaders, will gather in Paris, on 16th of February, around French president Emmanuel Macron. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrel, and president of the African Union, Senegalese Macky Sall, will be also present in Paris.An African Union-EU summit will be held in Brussels on Thursday, with many topics on the agenda.For weeks, it has been discussed the withdrawal of French and European troops from Mali and the reorganization of the European military in the sub-Saharan region.
There are two opinions related to this issue: If Africans don't want Europeans, they would better leave. But if they leave, Russians will be free to intervene. For the surprise of Europe and especially France, the Malian military junta disseminated so well the anti-French propaganda as the population now seems convinced that the arrival of the Russia and China will bring security and prosperity.Observers consider that France has been affected from a military and diplomatic point of view in Africa by what happened in Mali. Manipulating public opinion is a success of the military junta that has put democracy in brackets in Mali, but at the same time, France has underestimated the degree of corruption and bankruptcy of the Malian state.