Mali’s interim prime minister has poured damning criticisms on France saying they were “stabbed in the back” when the French military withdrew from the country.
Abdoulaye Maïga said Mali felt abandoned in its fight against terrorism.
France intervened militarily in 2013, leading an effort to oust Islamic extremists from control of the northern Malian towns they had overtaken.
Over the past nine years, France had continued its presence in a bid to stabilise the country amid repeated attacks by insurgents.
But the PM said the fight is now in the hands of citizens.
