Jean-Yves Le Drian surprise visit to Mali
The French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, arrived on Thursday, March 7 in the north-eastern Mali to make a surprise visit to French troops who are fighting armed Islamist groups.
The purpose of this trip, after the death of the fourth French soldier in Mali is to send "a message of pride and encouragement" to the French troops, said a French Defence source.
The Minister then goes to Gao (north) and the capital Bamako, where he is expected at 17:00. He will give a press conference Friday at mid-day, it was said at the Embassy of France in Bamako.
At first, the Minister of Defence visited Thursday morning in the valley of the Amettetaï the heart of the mountains of Ifoghas, considered "the sanctuary to terrorist groups" and the theater "toughest fights "as Paris. From the airport of Tessalit, Jean-Yves Le Drian then addressed the French military.
"By displacing the jihadists of their last bastions, you bridgeheads of this war without respite that France has decided to deliver against terrorist groups that still exist in Mali," he said, quoted in a ministry . "On you, as well as our brothers in arms Chadian I know the pain and I salute the courage, now rests largely on the success of the operation Serval", launched on 11 January, he added .
The Minister also paid tribute to the four soldiers who died for France in Mali: Commander Damien Lame, Warrant Officer Harold Vormezeele, Corporal Cédric Charenton and Sergeant Wilfried Pingaud. Some 4,000 French troops are now engaged in the operation Serval. According to the Defence, "the determination of France (...) to restore sovereignty to the government and people of Mali's total."
The mission is "not finished"
According to a French military source in Mali, Jean-Yves Le Drian was expected in mid-day Gao, a recovery of the northern cities to Islamists in the first phase of the operation. Interviewed by France 24 in north-eastern Mali, the Minister said that it is in these mountains that two of the four French soldiers were killed. "I wanted to honor and salute their comrades. I wanted to tell them that France was proud of his soldiers (...) proud of the quality work and smooth operations, "he said on France 24.
The mission, however, is "not finished", also said the Defence Minister, recalling the purpose of travel to Mali's "integrity." "It was after we withdraw gradually giving way to the African mission under the auspices of the UN," he said.
In Mali, some 4,000 French soldiers coordinate their actions with the Malian army, about 4,000 soldiers of the countries of West Africa and Chad 2,000 from Chad.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Jean-Yves-Le-Dr...
The purpose of this trip, after the death of the fourth French soldier in Mali is to send "a message of pride and encouragement" to the French troops, said a French Defence source.
The Minister then goes to Gao (north) and the capital Bamako, where he is expected at 17:00. He will give a press conference Friday at mid-day, it was said at the Embassy of France in Bamako.
At first, the Minister of Defence visited Thursday morning in the valley of the Amettetaï the heart of the mountains of Ifoghas, considered "the sanctuary to terrorist groups" and the theater "toughest fights "as Paris. From the airport of Tessalit, Jean-Yves Le Drian then addressed the French military.
"By displacing the jihadists of their last bastions, you bridgeheads of this war without respite that France has decided to deliver against terrorist groups that still exist in Mali," he said, quoted in a ministry . "On you, as well as our brothers in arms Chadian I know the pain and I salute the courage, now rests largely on the success of the operation Serval", launched on 11 January, he added .
The Minister also paid tribute to the four soldiers who died for France in Mali: Commander Damien Lame, Warrant Officer Harold Vormezeele, Corporal Cédric Charenton and Sergeant Wilfried Pingaud. Some 4,000 French troops are now engaged in the operation Serval. According to the Defence, "the determination of France (...) to restore sovereignty to the government and people of Mali's total."
The mission is "not finished"
According to a French military source in Mali, Jean-Yves Le Drian was expected in mid-day Gao, a recovery of the northern cities to Islamists in the first phase of the operation. Interviewed by France 24 in north-eastern Mali, the Minister said that it is in these mountains that two of the four French soldiers were killed. "I wanted to honor and salute their comrades. I wanted to tell them that France was proud of his soldiers (...) proud of the quality work and smooth operations, "he said on France 24.
The mission, however, is "not finished", also said the Defence Minister, recalling the purpose of travel to Mali's "integrity." "It was after we withdraw gradually giving way to the African mission under the auspices of the UN," he said.
In Mali, some 4,000 French soldiers coordinate their actions with the Malian army, about 4,000 soldiers of the countries of West Africa and Chad 2,000 from Chad.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Jean-Yves-Le-Dr...