Jean-Baptiste Vey | PARIS

President Emmanuel Macron will visit French troops in Africa on Friday, a source close to the new leader said on Tuesday.

Aides have said he is expected to go to Mali where about 1,000 soldiers are based as part of Paris’ West African counter-terrorism force.

The source added that the new French government’s first cabinet meeting would take place on Thursday.

(Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey; writing by John Irish; Editing by Adrian Croft)