Index to Nigerian Newspapers

France has suspended military cooperation with Mali, and its troops have already left the military base at Timbuktu. This is part of a reorganisation of Operation Barkhane, which aimed at removing its 5,100-strong force that battled jihadists in the Sahel since they entered Mali in 2013. The withdrawal of troops has left with mixed reactions in Mali, especially in the minds of Mohamed El Bashir, president of the municipal youth council, who said it will make the region less secure. Equatorial Guinea's defender Saul Basilio Coco-Bassey Oubina (L) fights for the ball with Ivory Coast's defender Maxwell Gnaly Cornet during the Group E Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 football match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast at Stade de Japoma in Douala on January 12, 2022. Mali has faced two coup d'etats since 2013, leading to increased violence and killings. Colonel Assimi Goita has pledged to return to civilian rule, but a four-day National conference recommended a five-year delay. A major coalition of political parties has rejected the government's plan, saying it is in violation of the transition charter.