MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2021) Police used tear gas to disperse a demonstration in the Malian capital of Bamako against the French military presence in the African country, media reported Wednesday.
Mali Actu posted a short video of the events in Bamako, from which it can be concluded that several hundred protesters took part in the march.
West Africa and the Sahel have long faced political turmoil and security challenges. In 2014, France launched the counterterrorism operation Barkhane to stabilize the situation so that the region's countries could maintain security on their own. This mission is supported by G5 Sahel, which was founded the same year, to facilitate development and security between Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
