The future of the international military presence in Mali will be the subject of consultations in Paris on the eve of a summit meeting of the European Union and the African Union.
High-ranking representatives of the EU, the African states in the region and other international participants were set to attend the informal meeting on Wednesday evening.
According to a statement from the Élysée Palace yesterday, the meeting is expected to focus on the fight against terrorism in the Sahel.
It is not clear whether decisions will be made and announced today after the meeting.
The goal is a coordinated approach, the statement said, adding that simply moving bases from Mali to a neighbouring country was not a solution.
France, in particular, sees little prospect of maintaining its military presence in the West African country.
Tensions had recently increased, especially between the government in Mali, which came to power in a coup, and the former colonial power France.
Meanwhile, there had already been disputes about the presence of Russian mercenaries in Mali and about a flight ban that also affected the German Armed Forces.
In Germany, too, there is a debate about the continuation of the Bundeswehr’s Mali mission, with more than 1,300 troops in the country.
The current mandate is valid until May 31.