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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Oct- 2021 -18 October
Mali Doubles Down on French ‘Abandonment’ With Troop Drawdown
Mali's prime minister reiterated his claim that France was deserting the country and accused Paris of failing to contain a deadly Islamist insurgency.
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Sep- 2021 -16 September
French Forces Kill IS Sahel Jihadist Leader Wanted by US
The head of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara wanted for deadly attacks on US soldiers has been killed in an operation by French troops.
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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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