President Emmanuel Macron will seek assurances to the Sahelian leaders of his fight against terrorism in Africa during the first meeting after the Sahel leaders announced the reduction of the French army in West Africa on Friday (July 9) Promise of.
The decision last month to reduce the French army — and hope to persuade the EU allies to strengthen their presence — opened an uncertain phase of the fight against the jihadist insurgents who control large areas of West Africa.
The new political turmoil that the military government now controls Mali and Chad has further raised questions about whether local governments can effectively respond to the threat of Islam.
France did not specify how many of the 5,100 soldiers of its crescent-shaped counter-terrorism force will remain in the area.
Defense Secretary Florence Parly said the government will announce these changes “soon.”
She insisted, “This transition does not mean leaving the Sahel, nor does it mean that we will abandon counter-terrorism operations.”
A source familiar with the plan told Agence France-Presse that the number of troops in the army will fall to around 3,500 next year and to 2,500 by the end of 2023.
The source, who asked not to be named, said that the commando of Task Force Sabre will continue to hunt down leaders of jihadist groups related to Al Qaeda or Islamic State.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, talks with the presidents of Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania will be conducted via video, with only Niger President Mohamed Bazum going to Paris.
He and Macron will hold a press conference later.
Potential political issues
Macron announced the downsizing of the crescent tank eight years after French soldiers were first deployed in Mali against the jihadist offensive. He warned that military power “cannot replace political stability.”
He urged Sahel leaders to win public support by eradicating corruption in poor countries and restoring government control and services in areas where Islamic militants closed schools and forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes.
The results were disheartening. After the officers launched a second coup in nine months, France even suspended military cooperation with Mali last month.
At the same time, the head of the Chadian military government, Mohamed Idris Deby Itno, went to Paris this week for talks with Macron. Macron promised that after Deby’s father was killed on the front lines fighting the insurgents in April Provide more French assistance.
“Political events in Mali and Chad often make people question our commitment to the Sahel,” General François Leconte, chief of staff of the French armed forces, told the Senate last month.
The outspoken military officer who is about to retire this month said: “We have not resolved” the security issue, and “security issues come from both political issues and military issues.”
‘Mostly needed change’
France has also been working hard to train the local army that formed the anti-jihadist coalition of the Group of Five Sahel, which is still defeated in many areas by jihadist fighters who have launched increasingly bold attacks in recent months.
Paris now plans to incorporate its presence into the so-called Takuba International Task Force, which was originally a training operation in Mali. The force currently consists of approximately 600 soldiers, half of whom are French.
So far, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, and Sweden have responded to Macron’s call and asked them to contribute to help Takuba play more of the role of counter-terrorism missions.
Even if larger allies like Germany send hundreds of soldiers, winning battles with insurgents in a semi-desert region the size of Western Europe will not be easy.
Andrew Lebovich, a researcher at the European Commission on Foreign Relations, said: “For many European governments, their current level of military involvement in the Sahel has violated the political red line at home.”
Lebovich wrote in an analysis report this month: “Development projects need to be safe, while improving governance and government presence are needed to be effective.”
He said: “Poorly coordinated drawdowns and temporary alliance building will bring the world’s worst risks, bring political and security costs to Europe… and eliminate cooperation or pressure from the Sahel countries to find ways to urgently need change. “
