France Said to Plan Cuts in Sahel Force

Less than a year after sending hundreds of extra troops to the Sahel, France is hoping to cut back its military presence in the restive region to make room for a stronger European commitment, army sources say. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defense Minister Florence Parly visited Mali in quick succession in the last weeks to help the government assess the French presence in the Sahel, the sub-Saharan region where thousands of troops have been stationed since 2014 as part of the jihadist-fighting Barkhane force. “We are getting close to the end of the year, a natural point to assess our progress,”…