Looking for something else, we came across this.

COTE D'IVOIRE: FRANCE REDUCES TROOPS

March 26, 2007 (Figaro) - It is not the beginning of a withdrawal, but just seems like one. The French contingent in Cote d'Ivoire is to be reduced by 500 men during the coming weeks, from some 3,000 troops to 3,000 [figures as received].

The Armed Forces Staff confirmed the decision yesterday, describing it as a "technical adjustment." This reduction of Operation Licorne is indeed not huge, but it is symbolic.

This is exactly as Le Figaro published it, including the square-bracket disclaimer. Hhmmm, let's see the French government plans to reduce a 3,000 man force by 500 men and still have 3,000 soldiers in place.

That's not symbolic, that's metaphysical.

Though the French Army will not be packing its bags overnight, Paris is now clearly displaying its wish to see the beginnings of an end to this operation, launched in 2002.

Since 2002, hhmmm, that's a long time returning "stability and security in the country, within the framework of full sovereignty". Why haven't Ivoirian "institutions and complete sovereignty [been] re-established with due regard for her unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty"? Ivoirians need "to have a view toward, to have clear prospects for full sovereignty, including in the areas of defence and security". We insist.

Really, this operation should have wrapped in months. Seven months, tops.

Last week, before flying to New York, [Prime Minister] Dominique de Villepin confided that he wanted the "first steps" for a withdrawal of French troops from Cote d'Ivoire to be defined before the present government's departure. This concern seems to respond to the statements made by most presidential candidates, who have criticized the tendency to become bogged down in certain external operations. Among the military, Cote d'Ivoire has for a long time been a source of profound weariness. And this "unsound" intervention, whereby a politically untenable situation is frozen militarily, is now widely seen as a model to be voided.

The French are probably weary of playing guarantor to elections not held every October (2005, 2006, and coming soon the 2007 postponement).

This full sovereignty thing is pretty tricky. Very humbling.

PFFT (What is this?): Metaphysical arithmetic 4 | France weary of rapid restoration of full Ivorian sovereignty 5 | Humbled France 1 | Rayonnement français 0