We focus on the situation in Mali, where a full withdrawal of French troops fighting Islamist separatists is thought to be imminent. French President Emmanuel Macron has been meeting with African and European counterparts during a dinner in Paris. He is expected to confirm the decision to leave Mali later this week.

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 and its sister radio station Radio France Internationale (RFI), Mali’s Prime Minister Choguel Maiga said that since 2012, French authorities have tried to divide his country by fueling autonomy claims in the north. Maiga said it is clear Paris has never deemed the ruling junta government as legitimate, and claims it was “preparing a plan” to overthrow it.

Former French colony Mali recently expelled the French ambassador and asked the French military to withdraw. The Yerewolo movement would like to cut ties entirely — and move closer toward Russia.

Human Rights Watch says that Mali's military has killed dozens of people in its crackdown on extremists. Jihadist groups are also accused of ramping up violence since December. Abuses on both sides may amount to war crimes. Plus, women from sub-Saharan Africa who live in Tunisia often struggle to be accepted and many migrants face racism. And we take a look at Uganda's only licensed cannabis farm, which grows only for export as use of the crop is still illegal in the country.

Former French colony Mali recently expelled the French ambassador and demanded the withdrawal of the French military. At the same time, the anti-colonialist Yerewolo movement is moving closer to Russia.

The EU will wind down some operations due to continued cooperation between Russian mercenaries and Mali's junta. But the EU says it remains committed to the region.

It was market day in Moura, a remote town in central Mali, when witnesses said Malian troops backed by Russian mercenaries descended in helicopters and opened fire on bewildered residents.

In late March, the Malian armed forces and suspected Russian mercenaries allegedly executed about 300 people in Moura, a village in central Mali. Human Rights Watch opened an investigation into the matter, calling it a massacre. In order to discredit these findings, photos online claim to show hundreds of weapons belonging to civilians, seized by the Malian army. However, the photos have nothing to do with the current situation in Moura. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the bloc "will continue" providing military support to Ukraine, while taking care not to become a "belligerent" in the conflict. Speaking to Europe Editor Catherine Nicholson, Borrell added that he expects the EU to eventually impose a total ban on imports of Russian oil in a bid to reduce the Kremlin's ability to finance its war in Ukraine.

The French military left a remote base in northern Mali before dawn for the last time last week, with 100 vehicles forming a miles-long convoy across the barren desert terrain. Helicopters whirred above as air support for hundreds of troops in trucks and armoured cars leaving the camp near the town of Gossi.

In a decision that was long time coming, Malian ruling junta pulled the plug on a number of military accords with France. French soldiers and European partners are on track to leave Mali by the end of summer.

Germany is set to draw down its EU deployment in Mali and increase its UN deployment. France is withdrawing from Mali amid friction with the military junta there.