France, which has more than 5,000 troops deployed in the Sahel, will resume joint operations with the Malian armed forces, according to the Ministry of Defence.
This follows the suspension of bilateral cooperation following a second coup in Mali in May.
A communique said “Following consultations with the Malian transitional authorities and the countries of the region, France takes note of the commitments of the Malian transitional authorities” endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and has “decided to resume joint military operations as well as national advisory missions, which had been suspended since 3 June.
After a second coup in nine months that made Colonel Assimi Goïta the head of this state crucial for stability in the Sahel, France had declared a month ago to suspend joint operations with the Malian forces, with which it has cooperated for years against jihadists.
In order to counter extremists in the Sahel area, French military have been supporting soldiers from Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso through its over 5,000 troops present in the region.
The Barkhane force, which was launched after France intervened to fend off a jihadist advance in Mali in 2013, will now continue to operate
On 25 May, Colonel Assimi Goïta orchestrated the ouster of president Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane, raising doubts about his commitment to holding the elections.
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