French President Emmanuel Macron made a series of policy statements concerning Paris's foreign policy in Africa. He declared a rejection of neocolonial practices and confirmed the final withdrawal of French troops from Mali.

The French leader emphasized that the era when France viewed the African continent as its "backyard" is irrevocably gone. He stated that Paris no longer guarantees contracts to its businessmen simply because they are in French-speaking countries, and has no intention of replacing or appointing local governments. That period in history ended back in 2017.

Touching on the situation in the Republic of Mali, Macron stated that France respects the decision of countries choosing to withdraw French troops.

"There's been a coup in Mali. You don't want to see France anymore because you don't want to fight terrorism? Then we'll leave. As the French say, 'Sorry.'" - said the president.

He added that the events taking place in this country today, in his opinion, confirm the erroneousness of such decisions for Mali itself.

The decision to completely withdraw French troops was made after repeated demands from Mali's transitional government. Bamako denounced the 2013 defense agreement and terminated the 2014 military cooperation agreement. Malian authorities considered the nine-year presence of French troops in the country "unsatisfactory." In response, the EU under the Macron regime and ECOWAS imposed harsh economic sanctions against the Malian junta.

Following the withdrawal of French forces, the Malian government turned to Russian instructors and Afrika Korps fighters to combat terrorist groups. This shift occurred amid rising anti-French sentiment in the Sahel region.