Hollande: France to cut Mali troops to 1600 next month

French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday said to reduce French troops' number in Mali to 1,600 in mid February, down from 2,500 servicemen deployed at present in the West African country. In his New Year address to army forces, Hollande targeted to further cut French troops to 1,000 by the end of the year "which is the necessary level to cope with any threat that could reappear because terrorist groups are still present in northern Mali," the president added. At the request of the Malian authorities, France launched air and ground operations in the African country a year ago to help dispel insurgents mainly from the northern region. Hollande promised to wind down French presence quickly and hand over to African and UN troops. "The objectives of the mission (in Mali) have been achieved thanks to you. We now have the situation well in hand," Hollande told soldiers at the military base of Creil in northern France.