Other forces may offset France's drawdown in Mali

Significance

French troops on December 14 turned over a base in Timbuktu to the Malian Armed Forces amid a broader repositioning of forces to the French-led Task Force Takuba and tensions with the Malian government over its use of Russian mercenaries and foot-dragging over a return to democratic rule.

Impacts

• France wants more burden-sharing from other European countries, politically as well as militarily.
• The changes to Barkhane are more dramatic at the level of Mali than elsewhere in the region.
• Anti-French sentiment will likely continue to percolate in the region.
• The branding of Takuba as a pan-European force may not reverse perceptions among Sahelians that France is seeking hegemony over the Sahel.