French and Malian forces entered Timbuktu on 28 February after Islamist and Tuareg militants fled from the city they had seized months before. French forces secured the airport, then the city itself. Reuters reported on the French and Malian drive into Timbuktu.

President François Hollande flew to Timbuktu to celebrate its liberation in an emotional visit.

Less than a week after their dramatic arrival in Timbuktu, French troops are already preparing to transfer control over to Malian forces and to depart the city. Meanwhile there are signs of guerrilla fighting breaking out in some regions. The Washington Post reports on French plans to withdraw.

Strategists are considering how to secure the Malian government and establish stability throughout the nation. Libération offers analysis of Mali’s history of instability and weak state development. BBC analyzes potential French strategic approaches to dealing with Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali.