France–Mali relations in Paris. There are over 120,000 Malians in France. In response to the rise of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in 2012 following the collapse of Azawad as part of Northern Mali conflict, France deployed 4,000 troops and sent many military equipments in part of Operation Serval. France has been very cautious of Mali's situation, as Mali was a former colony of France and has ties with France. In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron had vowed to fight every terrorist in Mali. France–Mali relations France–Mali relations refers to the current and historical relations between France and Mali. France was the former
Operation Sangaris Operation Sangaris Operation Sangaris is a military intervention of the French military in the Central African Republic, from late 2013 till 2016. It has been the 7th French military intervention there since the independence of the country in 1960. On 30 October 2016, France announced it officially ended Operation Sangaris. According to Jean-Vincent Brisset, senior researcher at Iris, the name refers to the African butterfly "Cymothoe sangaris", and was chosen because "butterflies are not dangerous, do not last very long, are considered pretty and are politically correct". In late 2012, President François Bozizé requested international aid from France and the