France says all its troops battling Islamists in Mali have now left

France said on Monday that all its troops battling Islamist militants in Mali since 2013 have now left the country, following a decision in February to withdraw over the deterioration of relations between Paris and Bamako.

France and military allies said at the time that after almost a decade based in Mali fighting Islamist insurgents around West Africa, they would move instead to Niger.

Coups in Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso have weakened France's alliances in its former colonies, emboldened jihadists who control large swathes of desert and scrubland, and opened the door to greater Russian influence.