Operation Barkhane
Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, exploiting a Tuareg separatist uprising.
France began a military intervention the next year that evolved into the current Operation Barkhane deployment with a mandate for counter-terror operations across the Sahel region, encompassing Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
Around 4,500 French personnel are deployed, and they work alongside the G5 Sahel joint counter-terrorism force that aims to train 5,000 troops, as well as peacekeepers deployed to the United Nations Minusma stabilization mission in Mali.
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Jul- 2021 -14 July
France’s Sahel Military Force Will End in Early 2022: Macron
France's anti-jihadist military force in the Sahel region, which today involves over 5,000 troops, will end in the first quarter of 2022.
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9 July
France to Start Closing Military Bases in Mali by Year-End: Macron
President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that France would start closing its bases in northern Mali before the end of the year, part of a drawdown of French troops fighting Islamist extremists in the Sahel.
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Jun- 2021 -18 June
UN Says Planning for Afghanistan Violence Hike When US Troops Withdraw
The United Nations is planning for a possible increase in violence in Afghanistan when US troops withdraw after two decades, the global body's refugee chief said.
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17 June
France Arrests ‘High-Ranking’ ISGS Jihadist Abou Dardar in Mali
French forces in Mali have captured a man they describe as a "high-ranking fighter of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara," the French military said.
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14 June
Police Officer, Two Soldiers Killed in Ivory Coast Blast
Two soldiers and a police officer were killed when their vehicle hit an explosive device in northeast Ivory Coast near the border with Burkina Faso, the military said Sunday.
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11 June
Anti-Terror ‘Academy’ Set Up in Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast and France inaugurated a counter-terrorism academy designed to ramp up the Sahel region's ability to counter a widespread jihadist threat.
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11 June
Macron Announces Sahel Troop Drawdown, Calls for New Force
President Emmanuel Macron announced a major drawdown of France's military presence in the Sahel where forces have been battling jihadist insurgents for nearly a decade.
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Mar- 2021 -31 March
French Strike in Mali Killed 19 Civilians in January: UN
A French air strike killed 19 civilians in Mali in January, a UN report said, prompting a strong denial from France.
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30 March
Niger Leader Calls France’s Sahel Force ‘Relative Failure’
Niger's president called France's anti-jihadist force in West Africa a "relative failure" despite years of efforts, and said a partial troop drawdown would have only a limited impact.
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26 March
Strike Kills Six in Mali in Disputed Circumstances
Six people were killed in northeastern Mali on Thursday in disputed circumstances, with French forces saying a strike targeted jihadists and local residents alleging those left dead were young hunters.
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