"The change will happen in the coming months with a noticeable reduction of our numbers and a greater presence in these bases of our African partners," Macron said ahead of a four-nation African tour.
This "reorganisation... does not intend to be a withdrawal", he said.
"We will remain but with a reduced footprint... We will do more training, more equipping and better accompanying" of local troops according to their needs, he said.
Some bases would become training academies, while others would become "partner" bases, he added.
Macron said they would adapt with less French military personnel on the ground, and an "Africanisation" of their staff.
They would see a "rise in the presence of their African partners according to goals defined" by these partners, he added.
Anti-French sentiment is running high in former French colonies Mali and Burkina Faso after military coups there that led to fallouts with Paris and the pullout of French troops from both countries.
Macron heads off on a four-nation tour of central African countries from Wednesday as Paris seeks to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent.
He will visit Gabon for an environmental summit, followed by Angola, then the Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville, and finally the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Algeria and Russia aim to boost military ties
Algiers (AFP) Feb 27, 2023 -
The head of Algeria's army hosted Russia's top security official on Monday to discuss boosting their military ties, the defence ministry in Algiers said.
General Said Chengriha said the visit of National Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev reflected both countries' "firm desire to strengthen their historic and strategic partnership... in particular in the area of military cooperation".
Patrushev said Russia was working to "further strengthen" their relations.
He also met Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, according to images shown on state television.
Tebboune is set to visit Russia in May.
Moscow has for decades been a major supplier of arms to Algeria, which has one of Africa's most powerful armies.
Algeria, a major gas supplier to energy-hungry Europe, has maintained warm ties with both its European neighbours and Moscow, despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Bilateral trade between Russia and Algeria was worth $3 billion in 2021, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
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