PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) – French troops on their own can not fight terrorism in Africa’s Sahel region, and stable political institutions in Mali also have a role, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

Macron said France will closely monitor in the coming days Mali’s transition back to democracy after its second military coup in nine months. “The presence of our forces on the ground in Mali is not enough to fight terrorism,” Macron said.

“The fight also requires reinforcing stable and legitimate institutions,” he added during a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Reporting by Michel Rose and Geert De Clercq; Writing by Matthieu Protard; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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