A French soldier takes part in a military operation on April 8, 2013 some 105 kilometres north of Gao in Mali. By Joel Saget (AFP)
PARIS (AFP) – France has withdrawn its first batch of soldiers from Mali, the army said Tuesday, as it begins to pull out troops sent to battle Islamist fighters in the west African nation in January.
The army’s chief-of-staff said around 100 soldiers had been withdrawn and had been sent to Cyprus, where they will stay until they go back to France.