Gao was once a French army base operating 24/7, but now an eerie quiet has settled in. With the departure of the very last logistical convey of 150 vehicles, the only ones left in the camp are the elite units, who will depart in the utmost secrecy.
French forces have been supporting Mali against insurgents for nearly a decade, but President Emmanuel Macron decided to pull out after relations between France and Mali deteriorated in the wake of an August 2020 military coup.
