Mr Hollande told French troops that the “mission of fighting terrorism and chasing out the Taliban is close to being accomplished” and heralded a new era of civil cooperation between Paris and Kabul. Since his election defeat of Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Hollande has defied significant pressure from Nato allies to step back from his campaign pledge to pull out troops by the end of this year. His decision means French soldiers will depart a year earlier than originally planned and two years earlier than comrades from many coalition nations.
Nato commanders tried to stall the French move, fearing it would embolden other nations to pull out as political support for the long-running war falters across the world. Mr Hollande told troops stationed in Kapisa province that any withdrawal would be “orderly” and in coordination with its allies.