Operation Barkhane

Operation Barkhane is an ongoing anti-insurgent operation started on August 1, 2014 which is led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region. It consists of a roughly 5,000-strong French force, which is permanently headquartered in N’Djamena , the capital of Chad . The operation is lead in cooperation with five countries, and former French colonies, that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso , Chad , Mali , Mauritania and Niger . These countries are collectively referred to as the " G5 Sahel ". The operation is named after a crescent-shaped dune in the Sahara desert . The French military initially intervened in Mali in early 2013 as part of Operation Serval which successfully regained the northern half of the country from Islamist groups. Operation Barkhane is intended to act as a follow up to this success and has expanded the French military's operations over a vast area of the Sahel region. The operation has the stated aim of helping these countries' governments to maintain control of their territory while also preventing the region from becoming a safe haven for Islamist terrorist groups planning to attack France and Europe. National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces . "The CAF conduct airlift operations in support of French operations in West Africa and the Sahel region" . In memoriam , Ministère de la Défense. Malis ründasid terroristid Gao sõjaväebaasi, Estonian Defence Forces Six Estonian Defence Forces members injured in Mali terrorist attack, [1] , Estonian Public Broadcasting Sahel : plus de 600 djihadistes "neutralisés" par l'armée française depuis 2015 , L'Express avec AFP , 28 février 2019. France sets up anti-Islamist force in Africa's Sahel , bbc.co.uk.

It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region. and consisted of a roughly 3,000-strong French force, which was permanently headquartered in N'Djamena , the capital of Chad . The operation was led in co-operation with five countries, all of which are former French colonies that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso , Chad , Mali , Mauritania , and Niger . Mali was a part of the operation until August 2022. The countries are collectively referred to as the " G5 Sahel ". The operation was named after a crescent-shaped dune type that is common in the Sahara desert . The French military initially intervened in Mali in early 2013 as part of Operation Serval , which successfully regained the northern half of the country from Islamist groups. Operation Barkhane is intended to follow up to that success and has expanded the French military's operations over a vast area of the Sahel region. The operation has the stated aim of helping the countries' governments to maintain control of their territory and preventing the region from becoming a safe haven for Islamist terrorist groups that plan to attack France and Europe. On 24 May 2021, the 2021 Malian coup d'état was carried out by Vice President Assimi Goïta . French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June 2021 that the operation would soon end and French forces would pull out in a phased manner, due to France's inability to work with the national governments in the Sahel region. He however added that French forces would remain in the region as part of a larger international mission. The operation was later scheduled to end by the first quarter of 2022. France began withdrawing its troops from Mali on 17 February 2022. Macron announced that the base of Barkhane will shift to Niger. The military junta ruling Mali however asked France to withdraw without delay on 18 March, with Macron responding that they would withdraw over the next four to six months. French forces fully withdrew from Mali on 15 August. The French military stated that the operation was not ending, but being reformulated. However on 9 November, Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane. "The Danish effort in the Sahel region (MINUSMA and Operation Barkhane)" . fmn.dk . The New York Times . "The CAF conduct airlift operations in support of French operations in West Africa and the Sahel region" . Pourquoi le bilan de l'opération Barkhane reste très discutable" [French withdrawal from Mali. Why the results of Operation Barkhane remain very questionable]. "Malis ründasid terroristid Gao sõjaväebaasi" [In Mali, terrorists attacked the Gao military base]. Anthony Fouchard, Au Sahel, l'armée française a tué au moins 2 800 présumés djihadistes , Mediapart , 16 février 2022. France sets up anti-Islamist force in Africa's Sahel , bbc.co.uk. Agence France-Presse , France 24 , Reuters .

It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region and consisted of a roughly 3,000-strong French force, which was permanently headquartered in N'Djamena , the capital of Chad . The operation was led in co-operation with five countries, all of which are former French colonies that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso , Chad , Mali , Mauritania and Niger . Mali was a part of the operation until August 2022. The countries are collectively referred to as the " G5 Sahel ". The operation was named after a crescent-shaped dune type that is common in the Sahara desert . The French military initially intervened in Mali in early 2013 as part of Operation Serval , which successfully regained the northern half of the country from Islamist groups. Operation Barkhane was intended to follow up on that success and expanded the French military's operations over a vast area of the Sahel region. The operation had the stated aim of helping the countries' governments to maintain control of their territory and preventing the region from becoming a safe haven for Islamist terrorist groups that plan to attack France and Europe. On 24 May 2021, the 2021 Malian coup d'état was carried out by Vice President Assimi Goïta . French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June 2021 that the operation would soon end and French forces would pull out in a phased manner, due to France's inability to work with the national governments in the Sahel region. He however added that French forces would remain in the region as part of a larger international mission. The operation was later scheduled to end by the first quarter of 2022. France began withdrawing its troops from Mali on 17 February 2022. Macron announced that the base of Barkhane will shift to Niger. The military junta ruling Mali however asked France to withdraw without delay on 18 March, with Macron responding that they would withdraw over the next four to six months. French forces fully withdrew from Mali on 15 August. The French military stated that the operation was not ending, but being reformulated. However on 9 November, Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane. "The Danish effort in the Sahel region (MINUSMA and Operation Barkhane)" . fmn.dk . The New York Times . "The CAF conduct airlift operations in support of French operations in West Africa and the Sahel region" . Pourquoi le bilan de l'opération Barkhane reste très discutable" [French withdrawal from Mali. Why the results of Operation Barkhane remain very questionable]. "Malis ründasid terroristid Gao sõjaväebaasi" [In Mali, terrorists attacked the Gao military base]. Anthony Fouchard, Au Sahel, l'armée française a tué au moins 2 800 présumés djihadistes , Mediapart , 16 février 2022. France sets up anti-Islamist force in Africa's Sahel , bbc.co.uk. Agence France-Presse , France 24 , Reuters .