The scenario of reducing the French military presence in the Sahel is shrouded in secrecy. How many French soldiers will remain there? And what are the army bases that will be closed?
Two questions that writer Corinne Laurent tried to answer in investigation her in La Croix newspaper, which she prepared following French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement – last Thursday, June 10, 2021 – to put an end to the “Barkhane” operation launched by France in On August 1, 2014, to confront the armed “Islamic groups” in the Sahel countries, in cooperation with the armies of those countries.
The writer first recalls the new framework that Macron spoke of, which is based on an “international coalition that brings together the countries of the region and all our partners”, the Europeans and the Americans. According to her.
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The writer drew – in this regard – to the clarifications announced by the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, when she said – in a statement to “France info” radio on Friday – that “the French commitment (in this process) will remain prominent.”
To further explain this issue, the writer quoted a member of the Defense Committee of the French Parliament, Thomas Gasilo, as saying that France will not be after the new development on the front lines, but will continue to support the military operation resolutely, saying, “(With this step) we put our partners in the Sahel before their responsibilities. “.
Which clearly means – according to the writer – that the end of Operation Barkhane does not mean the end of the French intervention in the coast. By 2023, it is also expected to close some of its traditional military bases in the region, which are no longer suitable for the new situation, according to what some military circles said. https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.464.0_en.html#goog_1488173607
And what France basically wants – according to the writer – is to stop trying to secure large areas, where the Sahel countries cannot stand and focus on the targeted fight against the “jihadists”.
This is what prompted Macron – according to the writer – to clarify what he aspires to depend on the “Takuba” force, which officially began its operations on July 15, 2020, and consists of European special forces that train, advise and support financial units in the fighting in the Liptaku area. (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger).
Eleven European countries – Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Sweden – have signed a joint declaration that politically supports the establishment of this force, and several other European countries – including Greece, Hungary and Serbia – have expressed their interest in this issue. However, the writer pointed out that the discussions on this issue were – and still are – long due to the difficulty of persuading the Europeans to deploy men to the battle fronts.
The “Takuba” force currently includes only 600 soldiers, including 300 French and 300 Europeans, and they are deployed in two bases in Mali. and 100 Danes, according to the writer.