France Seeks Change in Strategy to Reduce Troops in West Africa

France Seeks Change in Strategy to Reduce Troops in West Africa
French soldiers stand in an honour guard as the hearse convoy of late French forces soldiers rides on the Alexandre III bridge in central Paris on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Christophe Ena/AP Photo
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PARIS—As it pays tribute Thursday to French soldiers killed in Mali and faces questions over a deadly airstrike, France is considering changing its military strategy against Islamic extremists in Africa’s Sahel region—and a possible partial troop pullout.

President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce a timeframe for the evolution of France’s largest international military operation at a summit in Chad’s capital N'Djamena next month.