French President Francois Hollande says France will begin withdrawing its troops from Mali in a month's time.
He says by July, the number will be reduced by half, to about 2000.
By the end of the year, there will be no more than 1000 French soldiers deployed, possibly as part of a UN peacekeeping force, the BBC reports.
Mr Hollande says the French mission has achieved its goal of stopping the Islamist offensive in the north and restoring Mali's territorial integrity.
But Mr Hollande says the troops had not been able to rescue six French hostages held by Islamists.
