Mali crisis: French withdraw troops amid fears of prolonged war

France has withdrawn its first batch of 100 troops out of the 4,000 deployed in Mali as it prepares to hand over operations to a UN peacekeeping force, with 1,000 French troops to remain on the ground by the end of the year.

However, fears are mounting that Mali will become a drawn-out war, spilling into other regions and fueling terrorism.

France justified its January intervention into Mali as a necessary battle to stem the advance of Al-Qaeda-linked militants who had seized northern Mali, and threatened to gain control over the capital Bamako.

Months later, the French succeeded in driving out Islamist insurgents from northern Mali, with some retreating to desert hideouts in the vast area, which increased fears that the conflict might turn into a long war and spill over into other African regions. French troops are still battling insurgents in Gao, as well as in the historic desert city of Timbuktu. [link to rt.com]