French soldiers lower flag after years in Mali’s Timbuktu • FRANCE 24 English

French troops were preparing to leave the Malian city of Timbuktu on Tuesday, in a symbolic departure more than eight years after Paris first intervened in the conflict-torn Sahel state. It was there that then French president Francois Hollande formally declared the start of France’s military intervention, in February 2013, designed to root out jihadist insurgents. FRANCE 24’s Cyril Payen reports. 🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: 🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: 🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Discover the news in pictures on Instagram: