Mali: A Shift in Operations

As the mission in Mali shifts focus, the forces conducting the operations will shift with it. The beginning of French troop withdrawals from Mali comes at the end of France's offensive operations in the northern part of the country. The next phase of the intervention in Mali will be a stabilization operation focused more on the security of Mali's population centers than on mobile sweeps for militant groups. This transition has led Chad to withdraw troops from Mali, although it is willing to redeploy them as part of a planned U.N. operation. As France draws down its presence and takes a more supportive role, African forces have been deployed to their new areas of responsibility and now form the front line against jihadist militants in Mali.